PRESENTATION TO STAKEHOLDERS FORUM ON BOTSWANA ICT

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Department of Telecommunications and Postal
Services
Rural Telecommunications Strategy
PRESENTATION TO STAKEHOLDERS FORUM ON BOTSWANA
ICT GICC 1 AUGUST 2006
Mr. Ephraim Balebetse Telephone [phone] Email
ebalebetse_at_gov.bw
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Objective

• Background to Rural Telecoms
• RTS project overview
• RTS vs. Universal Service Access Policy

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Rural Telecoms Background
• RTS Project Overview
• RTS Project Components
• Where does RTP fits into USA Policy

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Introduction

• 1995 Telecommunications Policy
• Universal service
• Efficient services
• Regional balance
• Draft National ICT Policy (Maitlamo)
• Creation of enabling environment for the growth
  of ICT industry
• Provision of universal access and service to ICT
  facilities
• Making Botswana a regional ICT Hub

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Background

• Rural Telecoms Program
• Provide telecoms service to rural areas
• targets areas that have been judged commercially
  less viable by the telecommunications service
  providers
• provide infrastructure for potential economic
  activities
• bring rural communities into the mainstream of
  society
• wholly financed by the government
• Social obligation to improve standard of living
  for rural communities
• Progress
• four (4) programs have been implemented
• Morolong (6)
• Tuli Block (18)
• Tswapong (27)
• Nteletsa (179)
• more than 200 communities has been connected
• covered only 5 districts Central (53), Kweneng
  (52), North East (40), South East (5) Southern
  (80)

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Background

• Challenges
• Uneven Teledensity
• For reasons of cost, the program has been
  implemented in areas that are near to existing
  telecommunications infrastructure
• telephone density has increased substantially in
  some parts of the country while others lag far
  behind.
• Implementation
• Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) has
  always been contracted to implement the project
• Implementation has been limited to fixed line
  telecommunications
• restricted the use of other cost effective
  technologies
• High cost per line

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Background

• Challenges
• Unclear Criteria
• Criteria used to select localities have been
  unclear
• some villages with large populations have been
  omitted without satisfactory explanation.
• Changing Landscape
• More than 1 operator
• Regulatory regime
• Level playing field
• Fair treatment of operators
• Fair competition
• Consumer protection

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Background

• Challenges
• Poor Coordination
• Programs meant for rural areas (roads,
  electrification)
• Infrastructure (civil works, tower, power)
• Sharing of resources
• High cost of service delivery
• Poor service delivery
• Late delivery of projects
• Unavailability of service
• Intermittent
• Total black out
• High cost of services
• Service delivery is relatively poor

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Background

• Remaining Villages
• Contacted the districts
• DC provided the list
• About 200 communities have no service
• North East South East 0
• Central 82 Chobe 10
• Ghanzi 15 Kgalagadi 42
• Kgatleng 17 Kweneng 13
• North West 33 Southern 10
• Way forward
• Pause and reflect
• Review success and failures
• Develop logical transparent strategy
• Apply the new strategy to the next implementation
  phase
• complete remaining communities during NDP9

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Rural Strategy Objectives

• Develop the logical and transparent Rural
• Telecommunications strategy that will be required
  to make
• rural telecommunications delivery more efficient
  and cost-
• effective
• Goals objectives for rural telecommunications
  program
• implementation and monitoring system for
  telecommunications project
• clear and transparent project roll out plan with
  a systematic prioritisation of localities/villages
  .
• Producing SLA for interconnection and maintenance
  of the resulting infrastructure.
• appropriate recommendation on the departmental
  organisation and structuring for the unit
  responsible for the planning and development role

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Project Overview

• Priority project
• Need to complete the rural telecoms project
• Three step process
• Strategy
• Tendering
• Project implementation
• Combined strategy with tendering development
  process

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Project Overview
Set-Up
Deliverable
Inception Report
Goals Objectives
Implementation Strategy
Deliverable
Selection Monitoring
Rollout Plan
Network Infrastructure
Department Review
Deliverable
Draft Report
Stake Holder Workshop
Final Report
Deliverable
Project Management, Stakeholder Consultation and
Communication
Apr
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
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Consultation

• About 80 organisations were identified
• Government departments
• Private sector
• NGO
• Communities/villages
• Detailed discussions
• Identify requirements
• Identify previous experiences and future plans
• Identify issues and concerns to be addressed
• Stakeholder Input
• Input from initial consultations
• Draft report issued to stakeholders for their
  review and comment - www.ruraltelecoms.gov.bw
• Final report will include comments from
  stakeholders

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Village Visits

• 52 Communities planned for
• 40 communities agreed upon after consultation
  with CSO
• 39 communities visited - rained out in Sepako

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Project Components

• Goals and Objectives
• Definition of rural telecoms
• Develop a clear rationale for service provision
• clear set of agreed goals and objectives
• services to be provided
• Roll-out Plan
• Develop clear selection criteria
• Develop a systematic and transparent national
  rural telecommunications roll-out plan
• Visit number of settlements to perform a demand
  survey

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Project Components

• Implementation Strategy
• Develop an appropriate implementation strategy
• Cost effective solution (technology, interface,
  inter-working)
• Operation maintenance
• Regulation (interconnection, licensing)
• Future funding
• Network Infrastructure Standard
• Comprehensive set of standards and guidelines
  required to implement a rural telecommunications
  network
• A supplement to tendering process

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Project Components

• Program Management Monitoring
• Long term sustenance of the rural program
• Organisational review of DTPS
• Cooperation, coordination and alignment of key
  departments
• Role definition of key stakeholders such as
  government, regulator and operators

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Rural Telecoms Program vs. USA Policy

• Program has been implemented before development
  of USA Policy normally it is the other way
  round!
• So far compliant with the broader intended policy
  objectives
• Already provided services to more than 230
  villages
• Wholly sponsored by government
• Rural telecoms intended to provide service to
  remaining rural areas
• USA Policy will provide guidelines and framework

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• THANK YOU FOR YOUR
• ATTENTION