01 Jul 2021

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has embarked on a programme to provide internet connectivity to some remote area settlements around the country. 

This was revealed by the ministry’s Director of Policy Development, Mr Cecil Masiga during his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Gaborone on Tuesday. 

Mr Masiga said his department had multiple strategies in place through a special fund dubbed Universal Access and Services Fund through which the ministry levied service operators one per cent of their annual revenues. 

He stated that so far the ministry had provided internet connectivity to the remote areas in Ghanzi and Kgalagadi and was currently connecting in the Kweneng region. 

“These are the remote areas that are not economically viable for operators to go to,” he said. 

Mr Masiga further said that the programme would also be rolled out to the Mohembo area before the end of the financial year. 

On other issues, Mr Masiga also briefed the PAC about the department’s remote telecommunication strategy called Nteletsa 2. 

“The programme, which is in collaboration with an organisation called SmartBots, aims to provide internet connectivity to 200 localities, which includes the remote areas,” he explained. 

Mr Masiga was responding to a question from PAC member, Mr Taolo Lucas, who had wanted to know if there was a policy or programme on expanding WiFi connectivity to remote area settlements and if so, which settlements had benefited from such policies or programmes. Ends