Telecom Namibia has attributed last week’s widespread network disruptions to the failure of two high-capacity international connectivity links to South Africa, compounded by ongoing incidents of copper theft within the country.
The explanation was provided by the company’s chief executive officer, Dr Stanley Shanapinda, during a press conference held on Monday in Windhoek.
The national telecommunications operator experienced significant internet outages between 15 and 16 April, affecting businesses, government operations, and other critical services across Namibia. According to Shanapinda, the outage was triggered when two primary international links to South Africa failed simultaneously. “This initial failure led to a cascading impact across multiple layers of our network, including international routing, mobile core systems, billing platforms and security components,” he said.
While there was no single point of failure, the interaction between these complex systems resulted in a nationwide disruption of mobile data services and instability across other platforms. Shanapinda issued a public apology, taking full responsibility for the incident. “As CEO of Telecom Namibia, I take full accountability for the state of our network. The buck stops with me,” he said. “I extend my sincere apologies to all affected customers. We appreciate your patience and remain committed to building a stronger, more reliable network.” Full restoration of services was achieved at 13:50 on 16 April, following continuous efforts by technical teams working overnight. The CEO acknowledged that the duration of the outage was unacceptable and highlighted structural vulnerabilities within the network, particularly where legacy systems intersect with newer infrastructure. “While the immediate cause was external link instability, the extended recovery time demonstrated the need for greater resilience, automation and modernisation,” he said. He added that budget constraints have slowed the pace of network upgrades, though several improvement projects are currently underway.
As part of immediate corrective measures, Telecom Namibia has upgraded its core border routing infrastructure with next-generation high-capacity routers to enhance stability and processing resilience. The company is also accelerating long-term transformation programmes, including fixed-mobile convergence and system modernisation initiatives, which are expected to roll out in phases through 2026 and into early 2027. In addition, Telecom Namibia plans to phase out unreliable international routes, particularly those linked to South Africa, and shift services to more secure and resilient alternatives. The recent outage has underscored the urgent need for continued investment in modern, resilient telecommunications systems to support Namibia’s growing digital demands, Shanapinda said.
Beyond international connectivity issues, Shanapinda raised concern over increasing incidents of copper theft, especially in Windhoek and surrounding areas. The company has launched a joint initiative with the Namibian Police to increase patrols in high-risk areas. It is also engaging the Ministry of Justice to push for stricter penalties for offenders. “We are working with the Minister of ICT to pursue a Cabinet resolution to ensure coordinated action across government,” Shanapinda said. Despite the challenges, Telecom Namibia says it remains committed to strengthening its infrastructure and improving service reliability.
By Rudi Bowe
