Telecommunications
Structure and Policy
The Lesotho
Telecommunications Corporation (LTC) was established in October 1980 as a
state-owned company. Previously, the telecommunications sector had been managed by the
Posts and Telecommunications Department within the Ministry of Works and Communications.
The separation of postal and telecommunication services was also carried during the same
period in 1980. Today, the company is run by a board of directors and a managing director
who reports to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. LTC is the sole provider of telecommunications services in the
country and is not subject to independent regulation. The functional separation of
operational and regulatory activities has not yet been carried out; however, the government is currently considering implementing
a sweeping sector reform, including the establishment of an independent regulatory body.
Preliminary indications are that the new regulator will be a cross-sector authority with a
small unit assigned to the telecom sector.
In 1999, the national
telecommunications network had over 21,000 LTC subscribers, seven times the number of
telephone sets connected in the early 1980s. LTC and the government are currently
working with the International Telecommunication Union to develop a long range plan for
the digitalisation of the network. Lesotho connects to the global telecommunications
network via an earth station in Ha Sofonia, while regional links are achieved via
microwave links to South Africa.
Cellular (Mobile) phone
network
Cellular service was introduced in
Lesotho in May 1996. The network is owned and operated by Vodacom Lesotho (VCL). VCL is a
joint venture between LTC and Vodacom, the leading cellular provider in neighbouring South
Africa.
The financial restructuring of LTC
and the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector are some of the governmental
reforms which have taken place.
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ICT
Networking Development
In general, both national
networking and the use of ICTs have been poor in Lesotho. The University of Lesotho (NUL) is
currently the only public institution with full Internet connectivity. NUL
in Roma has used email since 1991 by connecting to Rhodes university in South Africa. In
December 1996, NUL was connected via a 9.6 Kbps analogue leased line to the University of
the Orange Free State in Bloemfontein, ZA (UniNet). There were still no private ISPs
in Lesotho as of early 1999. This might be due to the small potential market, Lesotho's
enclaved position within South Africa, and the relatively cheap telephone
connections to South Africa.
The Institute of Southern
African Studies is located at the University of Lesotho and its main purposes
are research and the development of information systems and services. ISAS was the
ECA/PADIS focal point and it was provided with a PC and modems under the CABECA project.
Lesotho Office Equipment (LEO), a supplier of all business and computer equipment, provides Internet
services. It now has five Points of Presence (POPs) in the city of Maseru, Lesotho,
and in Ficksburg, Ladybrand, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg in South Africa. LEO
offers domain registration, corporate
e-mail, web design and web hosting.
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ICT Partners and Projects
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