Faced with the challenge of population growth and urban mobility, the city of Oranjemund in southwestern Namibia is banking on new technologies. The “Oranjemund Core Fibre Connectivity” project led by the City Transformation Agency (OMDis) will be implemented with the support of Telecom Namibia. The state-owned company plans to deploy “67.7 kilometres of fibre optic cable” in this mining town with a population of about 4 000.
This technological approach will initially involve the virtual representation of the town, the digitalisation of basic services (health and education) and the installation of an artificial intelligence (AI) system to improve urban planning.
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“There will be a positive impact on sectors such as tourism, industrial development, health, agriculture, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, education and real estate development. This partnership will advance a high-end telecommunications network infrastructure,” promises Stanley Shanapinda, the managing director of Telecom Namibia, which is funding the work.
The N$12 million (about US$806,000) project will contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by improving energy efficiency, connecting 2,000 people to the telecommunications network and creating jobs for young people. According to the local authorities, this investment will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the populations of the town of Oranjemund located on the South African border.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi