Internet service providers not meeting standards – Cran

The Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) says some internet service providers are not meeting standards.

The regulatory authority’s spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano told The Namibian last week that their recent monitoring exercise revealed general compliance with isolated incidents.

He said the concerned operators were consulted to rectify the matter.

“There have been some isolated incidents of network disruption over the past couple of weeks, all of which have been restored,” said Nesongano.

Nesongano highlighted that some service providers have not met prescribed quality standards, leading to poorer quality.

“This is an ongoing exercise,” he said.

The concerns surrounding internet quality follow the African Union (AU) Commission’s special rapporteur on freedom of expression and access to information alerting election partners in Namibia that internet and network disruptions are a cause for concern in the forthcoming elections.

Commissioner Ourveena Topsy-Sonoo said this in Windhoek recently, noting the increasingly worrying pattern.

Cran conducts compliance checks on all licence holders to ensure they adhere to the minimum quality parameters, as set out in its regulations.

“While the recent monitoring exercise revealed general compliance, there have been isolated incidents of service quality not meeting the prescribed parameters,” noted Nesongano.

Weighing in Jennifer van den Heever, member of the parliamentary standing committee on information, communication, technology and innovation yesterday said she has observed a deterioration in Namibia’s internet and network services over recent months.

The disruptions she says include, a marked decline in connectivity, frequent disruptions and slow internet speeds that mar the end-user experience.

She said it looks like service providers are not being held responsible for the poor internet connectivity.

“Although there are regulatory frameworks in place and bodies such as the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran), the enforcement is perceived to be spotty. Perhaps that is why the problems relating to network reliability and internet performance persist,” she said.

Mechanisms to ensure accountability may be necessary to provide some redress to the current service quality, she added.

Digital transformation strategist Paul Rowney on Tuesday said the quality of internet and network services in Namibia continues to face “significant” challenges, despite strides for improvement.

He noted that accountability for weakened network and internet services among service providers in Namibia is a complex matter.

“Enforcement and accountability mechanisms need strengthening. There have been instances where Cran has engaged service providers around service delivery but these actions often fail to drive significant improvements and are not transparent,” he said.

Rowney emphasised that consumer protection and advocacy groups are essential to highlight issues, yet their influence is often limited.

“While there is some level of accountability, it is not consistently robust or effective,” he said.

MICROSOFT SHUTDOWN

Cran confirmed that there was a global technology outage which impacted multiple organisations worldwide, but noted that Namibia was in the clear.

“Reports indicate that the outage is linked to an update issued by a security services provider, causing Microsoft Windows-based machines to crash,” Nesongano said.

He noted that Cran’s computer incident response team has been monitoring the situation.

“To date, [the team has] not noted any Namibian entities that were impacted,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Londa 2023 report, which details digital rights and inclusion in Namibia, noted that the current state of the internet has remained largely unstable over the past two years. Ageing infrastructure has frequently been reported as the cause of constant internet disruptions.

The report highlighted that Namibia is making strides to deal with these challenges, with fourth-generation and later generation connectivity.