Botswana plans USD12.7m investment to improve rural access

The government of Botswana has unveiled plans to invest around USD12.7 million to connect 500 villages across the country to the internet. The funding will come from the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF) which uses contributions from telco revenues to improve connectivity in rural areas and in public buildings, such as schools. All villages with a population of at least 5,000 will receive a 4G signal as part of the SmartBots project being run by the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), which manages the UASF.