News & Events

Public Notice

Measures to Reduce Transmission and Spread of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19)

In line Government Gazette Extraordinary Vol. LVIII, No. 23 of 20 March 2020, and in support of the Government public health measures and awareness campaign, BOCRA informs its stakeholders, licensees, customers, and the public that it has implemented the following measures:

Use of Online Platforms to Remotely Access BOCRA services

BOCRA advises its stakeholders, licensees, customers and the public to use its onlineePayment and licence verification platforms, to the extent possible, to remotely access its services. These online platforms are accessible via the BOCRA website (www.bocra.org.bw). Use of Telephone, Electronic Mail and Facsimile to Remotely Access BOCRA staff BOCRA also advises customers and the public to use the telephone, facsimile, and electronic mailing services to limit visits to BOCRA offices for absolutely critical service requirements.

Practising of good hygiene

 BOCRA encourages its walk-in customers, stakeholders, licensees and the public to wash their hands with water and soap as egularly and as thoroughly as is possible.
 BOCRA has provided sanitizing facilities for all walk-in customers to sanitize hands before they can be served.
 BOCRA advises all walk-in customers and public to strictly adhere to the required social distancing protocol at all times while in the

BOCRA premises.

 BOCRA further encourages all its customers and staff to exercise hygiene when sneezing and coughing in public.

These measures have been instigated to protect the health of BOCRA staff, customers and stakeholders.

We thank you for your understanding and we look forward to your
cooperation.

Telephone
BOCRA Head Office

Front Desk: 395 7755/368 5500/368 4400
Facsimile: 396 7976

Electronic mail: info@bocra.org.bw
BOCRA website: www.bocra.org.bw

#ExerciseHygiene #StaySafe

Mmogo re ka kgona Corona.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INVITATION TO STAKEHOLDERS TO A CONSULTATION WORKSHOP ON LICENSING FRAMEWORK OF CAMPUS RADIO BROADCASTING
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA or the Authority) is a statutory body established under the Communications Regulatory Authority Act [CRA Act, 2012] with a responsibility to regulate the communications sector in Botswana, comprising telecommunications, Internet and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), radio communications, broadcasting, postal services and related matters.

The Authority is planning to develop a Licensing Framework for Campus Radios in line with its mandate to make provision for licensing of academic training institutions radios. The objective of the framework is to enable the tertiary institutions to provide a broadcasting training platform for students and information sharing.

BOCRA invites tertiary institutions, broadcasters, students and all other
interested stakeholders to a consultation workshop make comments to the
proposed DISCUSSION PAPER ON LICENSING FRAMEWORK OF
CAMPUS RADIO BROADCASTING. The consultation workshop will be held
on 02 nd March 2020 at 09:00hrs at the BOCRA Office-Spectrum House,
Phakalane. Following the workshop, BOCRA will consider all input, and
determine the way forward.

The Discussion Paper on Licensing Framework of Campus Radio Broadcasting is available from the BOCRA website: www.bocra.org.bw or BOCRA Head Office, Plot 50671, Independence Avenue.

Following the workshop comments should be submitted to:
The Chief Executive
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority
Plot No 50671, Independence Avenue
Private Bag 00495
Gaborone

Attention:
Masego M. Jeremiah jeremiah@bocra.org.bw Tel 395 7755/ 368 5563

VENUE : BOCRA Phakalane Office

DATE: Thursday 30th January 2020

CLICK HERE to access the WTSA 2020 Workshop Programme.

Click on the link to access the Approved Advertising code for Broadcasters December 2019: https://www.bocra.org.bw/advertising-code-broadcasters-december-2019

BOCRA has approved new products and services. Click here to download.

BOCRA has approved new products and services. Click here to download.

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority would like to invite reputable companies to tender for the Provision of Consultancy Services to Develop Metering and Billing Verification Guidelines to Facilitate the Audit of Telecommunications Operators Billing Systems for BOCRA. Click here to download... 

WE ARE CLOSING OFFICES FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) will close offices for the festive season on the 20th December 2019, from 1700hrs and re-open for business on the 7th January 2020.

BOCRA advises all licensees who wish to renew their licences to do so on or before close of business on the 20th December 2019. There will be no renewals done during the festive break.

BOCRA takes this time to wish Batswana and its licensees safe holidays.

For more information or clarity contact:

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority
Plot 50671 Independence Avenue
Private Bag 00495
Gaborone
Tel: +267 368 5500
Fax: +267 395 7976

https://cto.int/about-the-cto/working-with-us/current-vacancies/

NEWS RELEASE

BOCRA Hosts Benchmarking Delegation from South Sudan

BOCRA is hosting a delegation from South Sudan on a benchmarking visit from 3-7 December 2019. The purpose of the visit is to learn from Botswana’s experience, challenges and successes with establishing a Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF). South Sudan is in the process of establishing its own Universal Service Fund. Welcoming the South Sudan delegation, Mr Martin Mokgware, BOCRA Chief Executive noted that it was a great honour and privilege for Botswana that its UASF continues to be found to be worthy. He said that the Fund was ready and willing to share its experience and also learn from fellow UASF in Africa and across the world. Mr Mokgware pointed out that in Botswana the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF) was created as a special purpose vehicle to address gaps within the communication market. The UASF’s mandate is to ensure that all Batswana in the underserved and unserved areas have access to basic yet essential services within the regulated sectors of
telecommunications, postal, broadcasting and internet. The UASF has earned international recognition at the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) for the best initiative of Schools  Connectivity which covers 68 primary schools in Ghanzi district, Kgalagadi district and some parts of Mabutsane district. Each primary school in the identified districts was given 50 learner tablets, a multipurpose printer with fax and a scanner, 5MBps internet connectivity and related peripherals. IT officers were hired, on a fixed term of 3 years, so that they can impart IT skills to teachers and students as well as manage the ICT equipment. In addition, all Junior secondary schools in the areas were given laptops to augment what the government had already provided. Nine Community Junior Secondary schools benefitted from the exercise.

BOCRA pointed out that the UASF is guided by a Strategic Plan, with the current plan running from 2019 to 2024 and that the Fund derives its revenue from levies collected from communications sector licensees as well as surplus income from BOCRA’s operational budget. The Fund is run by a Board of Trustees, with BOCRA serving as the UASF Secretariat. The Board of Trustees is appointed by the Minister responsible for communications, on recommendation from the BOCRA Board, and members are selected to represent different segments of the “Communications’’ market.

During their stay in Botswana, the delegation met with Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) to appreciate the significant role played by the backbone infrastructure provider. The delegation also met with the department of Telecommunications and Postal Services who took them through the initial milestones towards reaching out to the underserved and unserved communities of Botswana before existence of the UASF. Further to that the delegates visited Betesankwe Primary School, one of the beneficiaries of UASF project on School Connectivity and Computerisation. They had also requested to see a model of a Community Access Centre, locally known as a Kitsong centre, and had an opportunity to visit one in Sese village. At the end of their visit, the team will tour BOCRA’s monitoring centre in Phakalane where they will appreciate the systems in place for Quality of Service monitoring, among others.

The UASF model adopted by Botswana has been hailed as one of the most efficient models particularly for emerging economies of Africa. In November 2019 BOCRA hosted their counterparts Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) on a similar exercise and has in the recent past also hosted several other bodies in region.

For more information, please contact:

Mr Aaron Nyelesi
Director, Corporate Communications and Consumer Affairs
nyelesi@bocra.org.bw