12 Jun 2018

A telecommunication license applied for Joint Venture Company, Liquid Telecom Botswana (LTB) has not been approved by Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Eric Molale has informed Parliament. He said the Ministry of Transport and Communications had since proposed a change to the business model of using the national optic fibre including that of BPC as approved by cabinet last month.

“The decision was to help speed and actualise universal access to optic fibre in the country and BPC infrastructure lent itself to the achievement of this strategy,” he said.As a result, Mr Molale said Liquid Telecom Botswana would have to apply directly to BOFINET if they were to use any optic fibre. Mr Molale further said BPC had not procured any optic fibre material for the joint venture.

He was answering Gabane-Mmankgodi MP, Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware, who had asked the minister to give an update on the progress of the joint venture and whether the licence for the use of optic fibre had been applied for. Maj. Gen. Mokgware had also asked if there was a problem that hindered the application for the licence between BPC and BOCRA. He also wanted to know if BPC had procured fibre material and at what cost as well as what would  happen to the material procured in the event that the project does not take off. Ends