Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) boss, Emilia Nghikembua, has lauded the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) expo, saying they will make sure there is access to quality and affordable ICT products.

As the regulator of information and communication technology (ICT) products and services, CRAN is among the forerunners within the 4IR ecosystem, she said.

Nghikembua was speaking to Nampa on the sidelines of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Expo held in Windhoek between Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Only once you have access at the right price, [only then] can you enjoy all the other benefits that come from technological innovation,” Nghikembua said.

The conference, which saw various stakeholders in the digital space converge under one roof to showcase their products and services, among others, was organised by the eight-member 4IR task force that was appointed by President Hage Geingob a year ago.

The force was tasked with assisting the government in preparing for the 4IR.

“We applaud the president for elevating the importance of the 4IR concept. It is the only way that we can become an industrialised nation if we have access and quality services that are being provided,” she said.

Based on CRAN’s analysis, a lot of work has been done in terms of improving Namibia’s 3G and 4G coverage, but more work still lies ahead, she noted.

“There is a lot of need for us to focus on connecting the schools and the communities, especially in the remote areas,” she said.

Deliberately so, CRAN embarked on a drive and conducted a gap analysis to establish the situation on the ground.

“We have found that areas such as the Kunene, the two Kavangos and some areas in the South and Omaheke are very remote and there is no coverage,” she added.

Nghikembua continued: “The work that we are doing is to make sure that these people get covered so that they can also enjoy the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Like Nghikembua, MTC’s managing director, Licky Erastus, was elated by the 4IR prospects.

He said Namibia is going into a “scary world”.

“When you speak about digital, the first thing that you think of is either job losses or job security,” he said.

Erastus was quick to point out that in order to maximise the opportunities presented by 4IR, industry players must collaborate.

“You need to have different stakeholders that collaborate. This is basically to show that smart collaboration can provide positive and impactful solutions to the country,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency