The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) and the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This MoU is a significant development to establish coordination and collaboration regarding the award of Aeronautical Radio Frequency Spectrum, the issuance of Aeronautical Radio Station Licences, as well as Radio Telephony Licences for pilots, flight engineers, and air traffic service personnel.
The MoU mandates that the NCAA’s Personnel Licensing Department (PEL) will manage aviation radiotelephony training and examinations, including the appointment and supervision of qualified personnel to carry out training and examinations.
“Subsequently, NCAA’s PEL shall issue a recommendation that will be submitted to CRAN to issue an aviation radio radiotelephony certificate along with the examination test results.”
According to CRAN’s Executive for Communication and Consumer Relations, Katrina Sikeni the new agreement is an extension of the previous one signed in 2020.
This agreement seeks to establish a coordination and collaboration framework for the management of Aeronautical Radio Frequency Spectrum and Radio Telephony Licences (restricted and general) for pilots, flight engineers, and air traffic service personnel. The framework will follow the International Civil Organisation Standards and Recommended Practices to ensure compliance.
Sikeni further said CRAN and NCAA will review the MoU every three years to assess compliance, share concerns, deliberate, and propose new measures to improve its facilitation and implementation.
CRAN, established under Section 4 of the Communications Act, regulates telecommunications services, networks, broadcasting, postal services, and radio spectrum use in Namibia, while NCAA, established under Section 8 of the Civil Aviation Act, focuses on civil aviation safety and security.
“CRAN shall issue aeronautical frequency spectrum and radiotelephony licences to an applicant in line with the prescribed licensing procedures and review the Frequency Band Plan for aeronautical radio frequency spectrum per the Final Acts of the International Telecommunications Union World Radio Communication Conference and publish for public record,” said Sikeni.
Furthermore, according to the Regulations in Respect of Type Approval and Technical Standards for Telecommunications Equipment General Notice No. 22, Government Gazette No. 5659, dated 30 January 2015, as amended, CRAN will issue Type Approval Certificates to importers of avionic communications equipment.
“CRAN will also ensure 5G implementation secure tilt down and precaution zones are applied at airports,” she concluded.
Katrina Sikeni, Executive: Communication and Consumer Relations, CRAN.
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