NATIONAL ICT STATUS: A REVIEW OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 10

Presented by: Dr. Omponye C. Kereteletswe

Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Transport and Communications

Date: 25 August 2015

Outline

• Introduction

Key Result Area

NDP 10 Goal

Goal Strategies for NDP 10

• Achievements

Maitlamo Initiatives

• Challenges

• Interventions

• Future Plans

Ministry Mandate

• To transform the country into an Information and Knowledge society, along the established framework of the ‘Maitlamo’ Policy, driving the social, economic, cultural and political transformation.

• This National ICT Policy is a promise to deliver key identified programs for achieving the national development targets aligned to ICT developments

• Ministry deliverables include;

o Increase Accessibility of Communications Infrastructure

o Promote a high Performance and Innovative Culture

o Provide Efficient Communications Services

Key Result Area

• KRA for NDP 10 was creation of a Knowledge Society

o Easy access to information to improve lives

o Different information channels used to disseminate on economy, education, health

NDP GOAL• Innovative and Productive Creation and Use of Information and

Technology

• Initiatives to accomplish NDP 10 included:

o Community access centres

o School Net ( ThutoNet)

o E-Health

o E-Government

o E-Legislation

o Infrastructure Development

o Measures to develop ICT industry

Goal Strategies for NDP 10

• Capacity building for information and innovation building o Training to equip personnel with scientific and technical

• Public Private Partnerships o PPP encouraged to share responsibility and promote efficiency

• Development of Infrastructureo Enable performance of various sectors

• Performance Monitoringo Ensure plans are effectively implemented and produce desired outputs

• Institutional Reforms o Liberalise and reform some institutions to enhance service delivery

Some of Achievements

Goal Strategy Achievements

Capacity Building for information and innovation

• BIH’s Microsoft Innovation Centre• BIH’s First Step

Public Private Partnerships • Nteletsa II• Sesigo Project• Planned PPP for connecting public schools with mobile solutions

Institutional Reforms • Privatisation of BTC • New legislation (CRA Act 201) turning BTA to a converged regulator,

BOCRA

Community Access • 197 villages connected with Kitsong Centres, as part of Nteletsa II by BeMobile and Mascom, resulting in each of the PTO covering approx. 95% of the country

• Mascom connected a further 41 villages, bringing their total Kitsong Centres to 82

• 97% of population has access to voice communications; estimated population of 60,000 without communications

• 70% of population has 3G access • mobile internet has surpassed 1 Million subscribers• Household radio penetration is at 92% • Private radio station population coverage is at 40%

Some Achievements contd…

Goal Achievement

e-Legislation • A number of e-legislation laws passed in NDP10 • National Cyber Security Strategy being developed

ICT Development • E-Government strategy developed, implementationincludes Government portal

• Services include short message service notification• Government Modernisation Office to launch

customer centric Government portal • Government to build integrated data centre for better

e-Government delivery

ThutoNet • All public secondary ,colleges and departments connected to Government Data Network (GDN)

• 4/755 primary schools connected to the GDN• 80 secondary schools have Wi-Fi technology and

upgraded 62 /239 secondary computer labs

International Connectivity

9

• The current capacity in WACS and EASSy is sufficient for the medium to long term

• Botswana to consider to invest in any cable that will be constructed in the future

National Backbone Network

10

• Some villages in Central, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland and Southern Districts are not connected to fibre backbone network

• Some of the routes to be upgraded to fibre Maun – Ngoma Sehithwa – Mohembo Sekoma – Tsabong Mohembo - Gudungwa Tsabong - Two Rivers Oodi – Oliphants Drift – Mookane –

Machaneng Takatokwane –Kang –Hukuntsi –

Ncojane Nata – Motopi Ramatlabama – Hebron – Mabule -

Jwaneng

LegendExisting Fibre Network

Ongoing Fibre Network

Planned Fibre Network

PHITSHANE MOLOPO

MABULE

NCOJANETSETSENG

MOTOKWE

SHAKAWE GUDINGWA

TWO RIVERS

KAUDWANE

NATA

MOTOPI

MAUN

HUKUNTSI

MATHATHANE

Access Network

11

• Provides connectivity to offices and homes.

• Copper, Fibre and wireless access technologies are used in the access networks.

• Govt offices connected using copper, radio & fibre

• Access network is limited throughout Botswana

Government Office

Home

Government Office

Network Operators

DIT

Internet

Fibre

Home

Business

Government Office

2G BTS

3G BTS

4G BTS

Radio

Radio

Mobile Coverage

12

• 2G coverage relatively satisfactory for most large and medium sized villages. There are 1592 (2G) radio base stations

• 3G coverage limited to main cities and some major villages. There are 479 (3G) radio base stations

• 4G coverage limited to cities and major towns

• Main roads are partially covered.

• Targets have been set for operators to rollout mobile broadband (3G/4G)

• Operators will roll out mobile broadband to locations with population of at least 5000

• For locations with less than 5000 & agricultural areas subsidies will be provided

Broadband Wireless Solution

• Radio solution is being used to supplement copper network

• Offer higher speeds of up to 30MB

• BTCL has rolled out the solution to more than 100 villages

• Some of government offices are connected using this solution

• Deployment will be as per the Broadband Strategy (start at urban areas and large villages and eventually smaller villages as the demand grows)

• Targets are being negotiated

• Wi-Fi hotspots will be available to 7 locations before December 2015 targeting strategic areas such as shopping malls, airports, etc.

Fibre to the premises (FTTx)

• Robust network capable of offering fully managed services

• FTTx currently is limited in Botswana

• However fibre cable has been deployed to premises in Gaborone and Francistown

• It is costly and implementation takes longer

• Broadband Strategy has recommended that FTTx be deployed by BoFiNet

• Offered to other retail operators on open principle

• Targeted to 34 locations with 7 locations per financial year

• Deployment started in Maun, Kasane, Gaborone & Francistown and 14 more villages will be covered before end of NDP 10

• Deployment prioritised to high demand areas such as educational facilities, government offices, health facilities, museums, shopping malls, mobile base stations etc.

Copper Network

• Provided by BTCL only

• Its deployment is concentrated in the centre of cities, towns and villages

• Rolled out in 78 locations

• Most of government offices are connected using copper

• Quality of the existing network has degraded

• Most of the network provides speed of up to 2MB

• Susceptible to vandalism and cuts

• BTCL has started to upgrade the network to offer higher speeds

• Gabs & Ftown has been upgraded to offer up to 20MB

• Targets are being negotiated

• Measures have been put in place to mitigate vandalism and cable theft

Challenges

• Infrastructure– underdeveloped Local access network

– mobile broadband services remain subdued

– Perceived high tariffs

– Poor quality of service

– Poor customer experience

• Unreliable power (load shedding)

Challenges contd…

• Maitlamo Pillars Challenges

– Slow implementation of e-Government, e-Health, e-Education and e-Business

• e-Government

o Inadequate skills required to implement e-Government reform

o Lack of adequate monitoring and evaluation of interrelated e-Governments projects

• ThutoNet

o Progress of the pillar hampered by lack of integration of Information Communications Technology (ICT) in management and provision of education

Future Plans

• Broadband Connectivity

o National Broadband Strategy developed

o National Broadband Strategy has programs which might lead to job creation

o Expansion of local access, national backbone and international connectivity in NDP 11

o Creation of new industries on content creation to fill content gap for broadband

• Integrated Government Data Centre

o For improved e-service delivery

Future Plans

• Universal Access and Universal Services

o Universal Access and Service Strategy to provide basic service to Batswana

o UASF funded through BOCRA and 1% of revenue by communications service providers

• Digital Botswana

o Programmes designed to leverage broadband capacity : Smart Cities, Smart Policing and Smart Transport

• Postal Sector

• Recapitalisation of Botswana Post to improve service delivery

THE ROAD TO A CAPABLE STATE