Namibia’s mobile market has a new entrant. Pan-African telecoms provider Paratus has launched a private mobile network in the country, built on LTE and 5G, completing its transformation from a connectivity provider into a full-service mobile operator.
The network runs on a new data centre Paratus built in Windhoek, Namibia, with power and cooling systems supplied by critical-infrastructure firm Vertiv and installed by its southern African partner ISF ICT Infrastructure. Vertiv announced the deployment on 11 June 2026.
From storage room to data centre
The build converted a small space originally used for storage into a telecom data centre, according to Vertiv. It added modular uninterruptible power supply (UPS) capacity, cooling units, lithium-ion batteries and redundant power systems, all under a tight launch deadline.
Delivery coincided with a global shortage of lithium batteries. To protect the timeline, Vertiv and ISF ICT kept backup loan batteries on standby in case shipments were delayed, the companies said.
A full mobile ecosystem
Paratus says the network now offers voice over LTE (VoLTE), Wi-Fi calling, and LTE and 5G services, alongside its existing fibre and Sky-Fi wireless connectivity. The data centre supports services for mobile, home and business customers.
The facility was designed for resilience, with N+1 redundancy, meaning one spare unit beyond the minimum required, and real-time monitoring of power and cooling to limit service disruption.
A new private operator
Vertiv and Paratus describe the deployment as Namibia’s first private mobile network built on LTE and 5G. The country’s mobile market has until now been dominated by a small number of established operators.
“Our vision has always been to build our own infrastructure as the foundation for long-term growth,” said Gert Duvenhage, chief technical officer at Paratus Group. He said the company had overcome space constraints, tight timelines and complex technical requirements to roll out the network.
The launch deepens Paratus’s presence in Namibia, where it has long been active in connectivity, including around the landing of Google’s Equiano submarine cable in 2022. Owning its mobile infrastructure now positions Paratus to compete for retail and business customers as demand for 5G across Africa grows, in a market where data-centre power and cooling have become decisive to network rollouts.
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