Namibia SCORES: Individual scores: 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1 Average score: 1.8 3.4 (2005 = 2.0) The body’s decisions on licensing in particular are informed by a broadcasting policy developed in a transparent and inclusive manner. ANALYSIS: The NCC has a policy that requires it to take into account public interest and public opinion, but there have never been any public meetings to actively involve the public in any way. A draft Communications Act has been in existence since 2002/3. There is no independent broadcasting policy. It appears that a lack of political will is stalling any development in this area. In September 2006, parastatal Telecom Namibia launched its new mobile phone service, Switch, offering calls at one-third the cost of cellphone calls. Soon thereafter existing cellphone service provider MTC objected, saying that Switch represented unfair competition and “infringed on the licensed right of mobile operators”, MTC and newcomer Cell One. Cabinet had to intervene and the Switch service was subsequently, and apparently temporarily, restricted to certain towns. At the time of this report, Swakopmund was excluded from the service because it was found that the frequency allocated to Switch in the coastal town clashed with that of TBN television station. The way Switch has been handled by the authorities indicates that the NCC commissioners “do not know what they are doing”. Interestingly, both MTC and Telecom are owned by the Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings Company (NPTH), although they are in effect competing against one another. Cell One, launched in African Media Barometer - Namibia 2007 29