28 Oct 2015

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo says broadband should not only be common in rural areas, but should also be known and experienced in the interland areas of Kgalagadi, Chobe and other secluded areas of the country.

Mr Mabeo said this at the launching and unveiling of the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF), which was held at the Gaborone International Conference Centre.

“This connectivity will enable the country to have better experience of communication services along major roads, linking the different parts of this country,” he said.

Mr Mabeo said there would also be expanded signal distribution for private broadcasting as well as extended reach of postal services.

He said youth unemployment was the greatest challenge bedeviling the country, adding that there was need to find the means of solving the crisis.

“I am happy to say that the fund will create job opportunities, particularly for Information Communications and Technology (ICT) graduates to advance the digital literacy programme and support school and communities with capacity building,” he said.

The minister said the service fund has developed a three year strategy for the period 2015 and 2018, and that it was the time to implement it.

“We should strive for full scale implementation such that at the end of 2018, the communication industry would have had a significant stride in reaching out to the rural populace and the underserved areas,” he said.

He said by 2018 a number of schools in rural areas would be computerised and connected to the broadband Internet.

He explained that the fund, in collaboration with Botswana Fibre Networks (BOFINET), has started installing wifi hotspots in public spaces such as airports and shopping centres as well as other high population centres.

“My ministry is committed to supporting the initiative of the fund and will continue to ensure that the environment is conducive for the development and growth of the sector and economy at large,” he said.

He implored the fund to put in place structures and tools to implement and monitor performance and project management, as it was the key to the success of the project.

For his part, the Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, acknowledged that the country has a lot of young IT specialists. He said it was exciting that the focus would no longer be on urban areas, but rather on rural areas.

“I have also been given the mandate to start the second television channel which shall encourage young people to come with production of different cultural activities of which the fund will assist by buying the content,” he said.

On the other hand, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MOESD), Mr Moiseraele Goya said through taking IT services to schools, teachers would have more time for students, especially those in rural areas as there would be no need for them to travel distances as they could do transactions at the comfort of their homes.

“This is an opportune time for us IT graduates to be engaged at schools, to develop structures and maintain computers and eventually empowering the locals,” he said.

He applauded Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority’s  (BOCRA) support to the ministry through UASF, saying it was a welcome development. Ends