Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN)

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) was set up to regulate the country’s broadcasting sector, telecommunications and postal service. The institution replaced the former Namibian Communications Commission.

CRAN has a number of responsibilities, chief among them to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations; to grant, renew, amend, transfer, suspend and revoke licences; to implement a transparent and fair pricing regime; to respond to consumer complaints; to protect consumers in respect of prices, quality, variety of services and user equipment supplied; to promote competition amongst service providers; and to manage spectrum planning and allocation.

In November 2014, the licensing organization had awarded 34 licenses over a period of three years, between 18 May 2011 and 1 April 2014. 41% of those licences were given to commercial broadcasting services, 30% for telecommunications and 23% for community broadcasting institutions.