Lightstruck Fibre: Accelerating Namibia’s Digital Future

Strategic Partnership Driving Deployment

The success of Lightstruck’s expansion is underpinned by key strategic partnerships and a significant capital investment.

Investment by NIDIF

The initial strategic investment by the Namibia Infrastructure Development and Investment Fund (NIDIF), managed by Eos Capital, remains pivotal. NIDIF acquired a significant minority share in Lightstruck Holdings’ Namibian operations. This investment, leveraging both equity and preference shares, is specifically designed to facilitate the expansion of last-mile fibre infrastructure into previously underserved communities and towns.

This collaboration continues to realize the vision of Namibia’s first-ever truly open-access fibre network, fostering inclusivity within the ICT sector.

Fibre optic internet represents a significant leap forward in communication technology, heralding a new era in how we conduct business, navigate our daily activities, and educate future generations. Lightstruck, as a leading fibre provider is committed to keep on pioneering the deployment of this advanced digital infrastructure across Namibia.

Its unparalleled reliability and speed sets fibre apart from traditional internet connections. Unlike copper-based internet, which can degrade and lose signal strength over distances, fibre optic internet maintains its integrity, regardless of distance. This capability enables the transmission of vast data volumes across long distances without compromising on speed or security, offering homeowners and businesses a high-speed internet connection that operates at the speed of light.

Rollout Milestones and Live Areas

The physical work for the project, which began in early 2024 has quickly translated into live service areas.

Key Areas Live or Under Construction:

• Khomasdal: This suburb of Windhoek was one of the first areas where the Lightstruck open-access fibre network officially went live.

• Rehoboth: Lightstruck made good on its promise to connect areas outside the capital, with Rehoboth being the first town to benefit. Work commenced swiftly, with residents in the initial phases already able to obtain live fibre service from partner ISPs.

• Windhoek Suburbs: Rollout continues across the northwestern side of Windhoek, focusing on areas including Rocky Crest and Dorado Park, as well as multi-storey flats and complexes where there is high demand for improved connectivity.

• Osona Village: The town of Osona is a key priority, with deployment enabling residents to access the new network.

Lightstruck remains committed to its open-access model, ensuring that multiple ISPs can connect to its network to provide competitive and transparent pricing to the end consumer.

Why Choose Us?

We aim to roll out fibre-optic internet across all communities that express interest

Our team is committed to developing, owning, and operating open, premium-quality, last-mile fibre networks. Our investment strategy is designed to build long-term fibre optic networks that will bring economic and social benefits to the communities where they are deployed.

In the next phase of our initiative, which focuses on enabling homeowners and businesses to take advantage of the high-speed fibre installed in their areas, we have forged partnerships with leading ISPs. These collaborations ensure we deliver a trustworthy product.

Our partners were meticulously selected for their exceptional service and product offerings, catering to the sophisticated internet needs of modern businesses and homeowners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Optical Fibre?

Optical fibre is an ultra-thin strand of glass engineered to capture and transmit light pulses. Unlike traditional methods that use electricity, it utilizes light to transport signals. This innovative approach allows it to transmit vast quantities of data over extensive distances without any loss of signal or buffering. 

Additionally, it supports simultaneous data upload and download without compromising on speed. While copper networks do have the capacity to transport a considerable amount of data, their effectiveness diminishes after a few hundred meters, leading to signal degradation and buffering.

Can fibre break?

Correctly installed fibre is incredibly durable and can last for 25 to 30 years. The majority of fibre breaks are caused by human activities, including theft, accidents, or mishandling by utility maintenance crews. However, if your fibre is damaged, it can typically be repaired within the same day.

What is the difference between fibre and copper?

Copper internet typically utilizes a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), distributed over conventional telephone lines to facilitate internet access. However, copper represents an older generation of technology and lacks the reliability of its modern counterpart, fibre. 

Fibre internet leverages exceedingly thin strands of glass, unlike copper wires, enabling quicker data transmission. Comparatively, fibre outshines copper in every aspect, offering superior performance across the board.

How does connecting fibre to homes and businesses improve the user experience?

Directly connecting homes to fibre optic networks significantly enhances the bandwidth available to communities, ensuring vastly improved connectivity both now and for decades to come. Fibre optic technology is often referred to as the ultimate solution in the evolution of internet infrastructure. 

While 5G and similar technologies may not yet be readily accessible near your property, and often result in competition for bandwidth, fibre optics offer a unique, unshared connection. It stands as the only true digital utility capable of bolstering digital services at home and in the workplace, including video streaming, the Internet of Things, gaming, and smart home technologies.

What is the difference between capped and uncapped?

With an uncapped data plan, you enjoy unlimited data access at consistent speeds. In contrast, capped data plans provide a specific amount of data or gigabytes (GBs), which, once exhausted, require an additional purchase to continue access.

What is the difference between an ISP and a Network Owner such as Lightstruck?

A network owner is tasked with planning, installing, owning, and operating the physical fibre network in your locality, taking full responsibility for its infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) handles the commercial aspect, offering fibre access to consumers. Essentially, your ISP leases the fibre circuit from entities such as Lightstruck as a utility service, paying a fraction of your package cost to the network owner.