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Mobile internet, 4G and 5G in Namibia

Namibia has three licensed operators: MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Limited), the market leader; Telecom Namibia, whose mobile arm trades as TN Mobile; and Loc8 Mobile, which became Namibia's third 5G licensee in 2023 but, as of the most recent reporting found, had not yet completed a commercial 5G launch. All three are regulated by CRAN, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia. The clearest, dated coverage figure comes from CRAN itself: in February 2024, the regulator reported that around 360,000 people — roughly 12% of the population — remained outside 4G coverage, which works out to about 88% national 4G population coverage at that date.

5G is live in Namibia, but from one operator only, in four named cities: MTC launched commercial 5G on 27 August 2025 in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Ongwediva, describing it as a phased rollout with more areas to follow. Telecom Namibia and Loc8, the other two 5G licensees from the October 2023 spectrum auction, had not gone live as of the most recent reporting found. No population or geographic 5G coverage figure exists yet — just the four named cities.

SIM and biometric registration in Namibia

Namibia requires every SIM to be registered with a full name, an address, and one official identity document — and a foreign passport is explicitly named as an acceptable one, including for visitors. Biometric data (a fingerprint or facial scan) was originally part of that mandate too, but Namibia's regulator, CRAN, reversed that requirement in May 2023, with its own chief executive stating the country does not yet have a data-protection law robust enough to safely govern biometric data — biometrics became voluntary rather than mandatory, a position CRAN reaffirmed again in 2024. One wrinkle worth knowing: MTC, the market leader, was still reported to be collecting biometric data through its own 'Verifi' tool as recently as April 2024, despite CRAN's directive — don't assume every operator's own practice matches the regulator's rule to the letter.

Roaming and backup connectivity in Namibia

Namibia sits outside the EU and EEA 'Roam Like at Home' area, so a Belgian or Dutch bundle doesn't carry its home rates here — your own operator's out-of-bundle roaming tariff applies instead. Check it before you leave.

If you're thinking of a satellite connection as a backup, know that Starlink is not currently a legal option in Namibia: the regulator rejected its licence application in March 2026, citing Namibia's 51%-local-ownership rule for foreign telecom investors, and Starlink's own appeal against that decision remained unresolved as of the most recent reporting found.