BOCRA opens up the airwaves
As the demand for broadband connectivity increases due to an upsurge in people embracing online services to do their business, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority ( BOCRA) has announced intentions to float a tender to assign additional radio frequency.
“The current networks, particularly mobile, continue to experience congestion as demand increases,” said BOCRA in its latest scope to companies to submit applications for International Mobile Telecommunications Spectrum ( IMT) licenses. BOCRA intends to license additional IMT and fixed service spectrum to alleviate the congestion and increase good customer service and experience.
The Authority says it will be assigning radio frequency spectrum in the 450, 800, 2100, 2600 and 3500 MHz bands for national and regional licenses, using a competitive process.
BOCRA believes the new radio frequency will create a conducive environment for the roll out of intelligent or smart technologies such as IoT, smart cities, connected utilities with a view to move Botswana to a fully digital economy. With BOCRA having developed a radio spectrum manage
ment strategy which covers, inter- alia, principles on how to license various frequency bands, the IMT licenses are divided into national licenses that enables the holder the rights to use the assigned spectrum across Botswana and regional licenses enables the holder of the license to use spectrum in specific areas. The regional licenses’ coverage area will include all the places within 30 km of town or area. For example, a regional license for Gaborone includes
Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Metsibotlhabe and other surrounding villages while Francistown includes Tati Town, Matsheblagabedi and others.
In addition, the regional license will also include a special category which will be granted to operators for service specific application in line with smart digitalisation of Botswana.
However, the services offered under this special license will not necessarily be targeted for general public.