Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority says the development will enable fair access to services and efficient distribution of mobile network numbering and domain names.

Botswana's government has announced plans to develop rules for internet protocol version 6 (IPv6), as the country prepares to transition from internet protocol version 4 to the next generation.

According to the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), the development will enable fair access to services and efficient distribution of mobile network numbering and domain names.

According to BOCRA, the migration will propel the country to reap the full benefits of digitalisation as it strives to become a high-income country with a knowledge-based economy, as outlined in its Vision 2036.

The Botswana Digital Transformation Strategy, which aims to provide a smart and sustainable society by digitising all sectors, is supporting the digitisation initiative.

"It is critical that the migration process begin immediately," stated BOCRA spokesperson Aaron Nyelesi.

According to Nyelesi, Botswana is trailing behind in the deployment of IPv6, as evidenced by recent regulator’s polls.

He stated that a migration strategy has been developed in light of current circumstances, such as the state of infrastructure, the technical skills available for IPv6, and the cost of switching.

Furthermore, the strategy provides goal milestones and dates to various stakeholders during the transition and deployment of IPv6 on various networks and services.

So far, a migration strategy is being developed to ensure that the economy is fully converted by 2030.

Nyelesi said the government would establish an IPv6 task group to produce the national IPv6 adoption plan, while the regulator’s task will include overseeing and facilitating IPv6 deployment through regulatory frameworks to be used.

Internet service providers or other operators, on the other hand, will be responsible for developing an IPv6 adoption and implementation strategy in accordance with the IPv6 taskforce roadmap and submitting it to the regulator.

According to Nyelesi, the standards will be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that they are in line with technical advancements and national regulations.