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Internet not slow or expensive says Botswana's Comms authority

Internet not slow or expensive says Botswana's Comms authority

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), the country's telecommunications regulator, has bemoaned negative perception around its national internet rollout, specifically that it is slow and expensive.

According to BOCRA internet uptake is low despite massive infrastructure investment initiatives by government on West Africa Cable (WACS) and the East Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy).

The Authority's 2015 report stated that the number of ADSL subscriptions between April 2014 and March 2015 increased by 6,595 from 20,884 subscriptions to 27,479 subscriptions. This change represents a growth rate of 32% compared to 19% recorded in the previous period. However, ADSL internet users can be estimated to be around 80 000.

Aaron Nyelesi, BOCRA spokesperson, attributed the negative perceptions to reports by the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs) - International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

"The concerns are usually based on comparative studies conducted by International Telecommunication Union," said Nyelesi, acknowledging that some individual customers could have had a negative experience.

"Some concerns are a result of lack of information on what constitutes a good internet speed and affordable internet tariffs," Nyelesi said.

ITU figures indicate that percentage of individuals using internet in Botswana has risen from 2,90% in 2000 to 18.50% in 2014.

According to Internet World Stats, as of November 2015 the country featured 620,000 internet users representing 28,4% of the population.

Nyelesi urged customers to be aware of factors that affect internet speed, and user experience when it comes to fast and reliable broadband internet connectivity on gadgets, as well as the line that links internet supplier and consumer – WiFi, Wireless, ADSL or Mobile.

BOCRA has now embarked on an outreach campaign to inform end users of the types of broadband technologies available on the market.

The authority wants every home to feature at least 2Mbps internet connectivity.

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