The City of Windhoek councillors have approved a resolution to implement the long-standing fiber project, a development which could boost its plans to become a smart city.
A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently. In return, that data is used to improve operations across the city.
The capital city has over the past few years aspired to transform itself into a smart city to improve residents’ lives through enhanced communication, but lack of consensus among councillors was holding back the ambitious project.
“Nothing much has been done with regards to the smart-city development, other than the recently approved resolution by councillors, who have now agreed to work on the project,” Cow’s Spokesperson, Harold Akwenye told The Brief.
He said the ongoing legal proceedings against some executives regarding the rolling out of the 5G fibre connections remains an impediment for the project implementation.
“So, nothing is done yet pending such an issue,” Akwenye said.
It is not clear if the council also approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which will implement the venture.
The municipality, which was awarded a Class Comprehensive Electronic Communication Network Services and Electronic Communications Services licence by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia in March last year, is also yet to allocate funding towards the project and appoint a technical partner.
The latest development comes after corruption allegations emerged linking some City of Windhoek’s executives to payments linked to a controversial deal involving Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei installing an internet network enabling 5G connections in Namibia’s capital.
