Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) is a state-owned enterprise
incorporated under the BTC Act of 1980 to provide all public telecommunications services
in Botswana. The BTC Amendment Act 15 of 1996 removed exclusive rights of BTC over the
provision of telecommunications services in Botswana. From
1980 to 1995, BTC was operated by UK-based Cable & Wireless under a management
contract. Today, BTC has full internal control over the operations of the company and
Botswana fill the vast majority of the key management positions.
Following the introduction of two
bills to the national legislature in July 1996: Botswana Telecommunications Corporation
(Amendment) Bill 1996 and Telecommunications Bill 1996, which passed into law
in September, competition in the telecommunications sector has been encouraged by opening
the door for new entrants. Aside from ending BTC's monopoly, the second most important
aspect of the legislation is the establishment of an independent regulatory body.
Previously, BTC had been self-regulating. Consequently, the Botswana
Telecommunications Authority (BTA) has been set up to oversee and regulate the
sector.
Teledensity:
- Total: 9.27
(2000)
- Largest cities:
17.95 (1999)
- Rest of the country:
3.10 (1999)
Digital main lines: 100.0%
(2000)
Waiting list for a telephone
line: 11,800 (2000)
- Average waiting time:
0.5 (2000)
- Total demand (k):
162.1 (2000)
- Satisfied demand:
92.7 % (2000)
Telephone Tariff:
|
US$ |
| Connection
charge PSTN |
44 |
| Monthly
rental PSTN business |
3.5 |
| Monthly
rental PSTN residential |
3.3 |
| 6
minutes local call |
0.02 |
| 1
minute trunk call 320 kms |
0.21 |
| 1
minute call USA |
1.27 |
| Lease
line 64 Kbps/month/5 km |
233.87 |
Source: BMI-TechKnowledge
Communication Technologies Handbook 1999, World Telecommunication Indicators 2000/2001and
African Telecommunications Indicators 2001.
Public telephones: 3,000
(2000)
BTC is currently working on the
installation of as many as 1,300 new Smartfones throughout the country in the space of a
year .The Smartfone is a pre-pay debit card pay phone system supplied by TEMSA in South
Africa. The Smartfone is operated by a phone card that can be bought at numerous
shops, post offices, hotels, etc., throughout the country, in P10, P25 and P50 varieties.
The cards are activated by a state-of-the-art microchip rather than a magnetic strip,
which is prone to damage.
Public telephones per 1,000
inhabitants: 1.86 (2000)
Mobile cellular subscribers:
200,000 (2000)
Following the submission of bids by
five companies, cellular radio operating licenses were awarded to two companies which
started their operations in 1998:
Mascom Wireless
(Pty), a consortium with Telecom Portugal, Zimbabwe's DECI
holdings(Econet, Zimabawe) and local Botswana firms.
Vista Cellular (Pty) Ltd
(Simply Cell), a consortium of France Telecom with local Botswana
partners.
Cellular subscribers as a % of
total telephone subscribers: 57.1 (2000)
Mobile cellular tariff (where
US$ 1= Botswana Pula 4.63):
3 minute local call:
US$ 1.30 Source: World Telecommunication Indicators 2000/2001.
The cost of calling
a mobile phone from a fixed line is P1.20 per minute in peak time and 96 thebe per minute
off peak. The cost of calling a mobile cellular phone from a BTC public pay phone is P1.80
per minute during peak times and P1.30 per minute during off peak periods. Source: Botswana
Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), 1999.
Telecommunications revenue (M
US$): 120.5 (2000)
Telecommunications investment (M
US$): 47.7 (2000)
Telecommunications investment as
a % of revenue: 39.6 (2000)
Telecom equipment exports (M
US$): na
Telecom equipment imports (M
US$): na
Telecentres: na
Facsimiles (k):
3.5 (1998)
Electronic mail started in 1988 at
the University of Botswana.
The introduction of Internet in Botswana has been delayed because of Botswana Telecoms
Corporation (BTC) policy which obliged all links to go through its X.25 data network at a
high cost. For a few years, UB could only afford an analog 9.6 Kbps link to South Africa
through the pioneer ISP, Info Botswana - now IBIS - , then later a digital 64 Kbps line to
CSIR, South Africa. The University of Botswana has been on full Internet access since 1997
following BTC's change of its policy after the pressure of demand became too great. The
Library at the University has currently published its web site.
The National Institute of
Development Research and Documentation (NIDRD) at the University of Botswana has been one of the active
networking agencies in Bostwana. It is both the UNESCO/IIP and UNECA national focal point.
The Botswana Technology Centre (BTC)
was established to promote science and technology through research and development,
transfer of technology, policy development, support to industry, economic analysis, and
informational and educational activities. These efforts are aimed at improving the quality
of life of the citizens of Botswana, and supporting the economic development of the
country. The Technology Information Department
within BTC has three units: Communications, Computer and Information, and it ensures the
use of advanced information and communication systems to provide quality
service to its customers.
The HealthNet node in
Botswana is based at the University of Botswana in Gaborone, and the main users are from
the Ministry of Health, the Institute of Health Sciences, the Nyangabgwe Hospital, the
University of Botswana and WHO.
There are currently 7 licensed Internet Service Providers in
Botswana with some of them having points of presence in secondary towns.
Computer
per 100 inhabitants: 3.70 (2000)
The Department of Computer Science
at the University of Botswana
offers a two year diploma programme leading to a Diploma of Computer Studies, and a
three-year (post year 1) degree programme leading to a B.Sc. Degree in Computer Science.
The Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)
programme at the University of Botswana was started in 1994, replacing the Postgraduate
Diploma in Library and Information Studies (PGLIS) programme which the Department had been
offering since 1986. The curriculum of the Master’s programme takes a
broader view of information work and relates it to the current problems of society,
especially developing countries. The MLIS is a two-year, full-time programme.
Radio broadcasting: There
are three radio broadcast channels operating in Botswana. The main broadcaster is the Department
of Information and Broadcasting (IB), falling under the Ministry of the State
President. IB operates two national FM radio channels on 20 transmitters as well as on
short and medium wave lengths. IB has an English and a Thatswana programme, and it covers
over 80% of the national territory.
Television broadcasting: IB
has started preparations for a television channel to be fully operational in 1999.
The Botswana Telecommunications
Authority (BTA) is the licensing agency until the issuance of a broadcasting bill. BTA was
considering 3 license applications to television and 17 for radio in 1997.
Radios per
100 inhabitants: 13.1 (1995)
Television
receivers per 100 inhabitants: 2.5 (2000)
Pay TV
decoders: na
Cable TV
subscribers: na
Home
satellite dishes/antennas: 12,000 (2000)
