Despite some Namibian websites ending with ‘.na’ in their domain name having experienced downtime last week, the communications regulator has dismissed any widespread outages. 

The technical difficulties may have stemmed from the Communications Regulatory Association of Namibia’s (CRAN’s) cancellation of UCOM Mobile Namibia’s spectrum licences earlier this year.  The regulator has advised all domain owners affected by suspensions to contact CRAN’s registry directly for updates and assistance with resolution. 

Responding to New Era queries last week, CRAN’s executive for communication and consumer relations Mufaro Nesongano noted that the UCOM licence cancellation primarily affected consumers of mobile telecommunications services. 

“This decision had minimal direct impact on Namibian websites using the .na domain, as most of these sites are hosted through separate infrastructure, independent of UCOM’s mobile network. However, the broader uncertainty in the telecoms sector may have indirectly affected confidence in internet reliability, particularly for online businesses that were serviced by UCOM. In summary, while the licence cancellation disrupted mobile connectivity, its effect on the .na domain ecosystem was limited,” he stated. 

The spectrum licences held by UCOM Mobile Namibia, formerly known as MTN Business Namibia, were revoked by CRAN earlier this year because UCOM failed to pay more than N$19 million in outstanding license fees. 

At the time, CRAN cited UCOM Mobile’s inefficient use of the allocated spectrum, with the regulator stating that it amounts to potential spectrum hoarding.  Last week, several locally registered websites experienced limited downtime.  “Some .na domain websites in Namibia have reportedly experienced suspensions due to administrative or technical issues. However, there is no evidence of a widespread or officially confirmed suspension affecting all .na domains,” Nesongano noted. 

He added that the .na registry is managed by the Namibia Domain Name Registry (NA-DIG), which actively works to resolve domain-related issues as they arise.  Reactivation timelines depend on the specific circumstances of each case.  Earlier this year, CRAN CEO Emilia Nghikembua said, “CRAN herewith informs stakeholders and consumers that it has cancelled the spectrum licenses awarded to UCOM Mobile Namibia, formerly known as Mobile Telephone Networks Business Solutions Namibia (MTN), issued between November 2014 and April 2020”. 

That cancellation followed unsuccessful mediation and the Namibian High Court granting a default judgment against UCOM Mobile in November 2023.

“The nonpayment of spectrum fees and hoarding of spectrum constitute a material breach of the license conditions and are classified as grounds for license cancellation,” Nghikembua stated.  Considering the impact of the decision on consumers and UCOM Mobile Namibia, CRAN granted UCOM Mobile Namibia six months until June 2024 to facilitate the migration of their approximately 1 000 customers and wind up operations. 

Meanwhile, commenting on the impact on the domestic players, Kehad Snydewel, managing director of Green Enterprise Solutions, a Namibian information and communication player, stated that CRAN always weighs up what is best for Namibia as well as Namibian consumers and businesses. 

“We believe the impact will be minimal, and any shortfalls that may stem from this cancellation will be absorbed by Namibian companies. They have the technological know-how to cater to the local markets,” Snydewel noted.