The Numbering Plan
The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) commissioned an independent study of the future of Botswanas E.164 (telephony) Numbering Plan.
The Current Numbering Plan
Botswanas population is around 2.1 Million (2011 National Census), with a fixed line teledensity of about 8 per hundred population, amounting to some 161 641 lines as at March 2016. Over half of the lines are concentrated in the capital, Gaborone. Together with a small but fast growing number of mobile phones, the fixed lines are numbered by a closed near-uniform geographically structured 6-digit numbering plan. The following numbers have more than 6 digits:
- DDI lines in Gaborone, which have 7 digits, numbered in the ranges starting 36 and 355 mobile phones, which have 2-digit codes (71 and 72) and 6-digit subscriber numbers, ie 8 digits in all the new 0800 freephone range, which with 6-digit subscriber numbers (SNs) amount to 10 digits in all...
