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Keynote Address
Thari G. Pheko
Host representative Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) Chief Executive
Good morning. It is a great honour for me to officiate on this occasion that
marks the beginning of weeklong interactions of the Technical Bureau of the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T). Ahead of us lies five days of
what I anticipate to be informative discussions on issues of Quality of
Service (QoS) and Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), both topics that feature
prominently in today’s communications arena. Allow me to thank the ITU for
entrusting Botswana with the responsibility to host meetings to debate these
important issues.
Director of ceremonies, allow me to begin by giving a brief background of
the communications landscape in Botswana. Botswana like many developing
countries is still chasing the universal service goal. Our fixed telephony
density is still about 8% or around 145 000 subscribers. However, our mobile
density is high at 156% or just over 2.8 million subscribers against a
population that is in excess of 1.8 Million. However, our Internet
penetration is alarmingly low estimated at around 6% although there is a
popular view that there may be need to improve on our data collection for
Internet usage as this figure does not seem to present the true picture.
In terms of connectivity, the national fixed backbone network comprises
fibre ring infrastructure around the country and transkalahari ring network
that connects major towns. The network comprises fibre optic, radio, copper
lines and wireless radios. Mobile networks using GSM technology cover at
least 95% of the population using 2G and 3G technologies.
The Government has made a commitment to subsidise Public Telecommunications
Operators (PTOs) in a bid to facilitate the provision of services in rural
areas under a rural telecommunications infrastructure development project
that we named “Nteletsa II” – a Tswana word for ‘call me’. Through this
project, the Government intends to facilitate the development of
telecommunications network infrastructure and provision of
telecommunications services to a total of 197 identified rural communities.
To date, a total of 165 villages have already been connected.
Internationally, Government has invested in the East Africa Submarine Cable
System (EASSy) and the West Africa Cable System (WACS) to bring ultra-fast
broadband connectivity to Botswana. EASSy is already available in Botswana
while WACS is expected to be commercially available by end of 2012. Once the
two systems are fully operational, Botswana will have enough bandwidth
capacity to potentially provide any ICT service imaginable.
Coming back to this week’s business, concerns that Electromagnetic Fields
propagated by mobile phones and their transmission base stations may have
negative effects on human health are probably as old as the advent of mobile
telephony itself. Such concerns appear to have gained momentum globally in
the recent past. Certainly, the concerns formed part of the public discourse
in this country last year following observations by some facilitators at a
workshop in Rasesa (a village 40 kilometres north of where we are) early in
the year. Later in the same year, the BTA hosted a workshop facilitated by
experts from a number of international organisations that deal with this
very issue. During that workshop, the BTA also presented the results of
measurements it carried on sample base stations in and around Gaborone.
Notwithstanding this BTA intervention, the concerns are very much alive.
Whether or not we are dealing with perceptions or a reality remains a
million dollar question. Suffice to say that experts dispel the concerns as
mere perceptions, while non-experts believe them to be a reality. Today’s
workshop comforts me in that it will give Batswana yet another opportunity
to benefit from informed discussions on this matter.
Among its many outcomes, the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) held in Quadalajara, Mexico in October 2010
resolved that there was a need for new activities to gather and disseminate
information concerning exposure to electromagnetic fields, in cooperation
with other specialist organisations. I am glad that while we are still
relatively fresh from that Conference, the ITU is already in Botswana to
implement its resolution through a workshop and Study Group meetings.
I gather that following the Workshop on Wednesday, Study Group (SG5)
Regional Group for Africa will meet. Among its many terms of reference Study
Group 5 was created to disseminate relevant information provided by ITU-T on
EMF standards, compliance and measurement methods applicable to
telecommunication networks, to the safety of telecommunication personnel and
users against electrical current and voltages and telecommunication
personnel and the general public from electromagnetic fields generated by
telecommunication installation.
I wish to call upon participants to this meeting to note the level of
responsibility that Africa has placed on their shoulders. With limited
expertise and limited research capacity on mobile phone technology, Africa
like other developing continents is at the mercy of the first world when it
comes to knowledge on this subject. Africa looks at the men and women in
this Study Group for guidance. Therefore, your role in this Study Group
deserves your undivided attention and commitment. The time will come for
history to judge you, and when it does, let it not judge you harshly.
On Thursday and Friday Study Group 12 will meet to debate yet another
illusive concept of Quality of Service (QoS). Quality of Service varies from
country to country. However, the developing world and Africa in particular,
have resigned themselves to QoS standards that are not acceptable elsewhere
in the world.
It is only in our part of the world where Call Setup Success Rates are still
low; Call Handover Success Rates are poor; Network availability is still a
challenge; Network outages are still common; Internet speeds are deplorable
and Voice quality is still suspect. I am aware that the situation may not as
bleak across all of Africa as I make it sound, but the point I am making is
that, we still have a lot to do before we can compete on equal footing with
networks in the developed world.
I take comfort in the knowledge that among its terms of reference, Study
Group 12 is tasked to ensure that ITU-T provides relevant information on QoS
standards applicable to telecommunication networks, including test equipment
for QoS monitoring and measuring, and assist in their implementation. The
challenge for most African countries is the lack of equipment for monitoring
and measuring quality of service. As a result, monitoring is done manually
upon receipt of the occasional customer complaints.
One area that requires higher Quality of Service standards is the Internet.
It is common course that data provides the largest growth opportunity for
networks the world over. It is equally true that e-Government presents a
viable opportunity for Governments to improve service delivery. Broadband
Internet strategies required in supporting high bandwidth services such as
videoconferencing, video streaming, and others need no compromise on quality
of service standards. Yet, it is common to hear of customers receiving
Internet speeds that are much lower than what they pay for. Suppliers take
advantage of the ignorance of the average customer who is not knowledgeable
enough to ascertain the speeds they receive.
I therefore exhort you to seriously explore all the dimensions of QoS with a
view to finding answers to bring Africa’s quality of service standards at
par with the rest of the world. We cannot continue to condone second best
standard for Africa lest our people become bystanders in the information
age.
The information and communication technology industry is the catalyst that
optimises the performance of other sectors of the economy. It goes without
saying that if the performance of the ICT industry is substandard, our
respective economies will continue to perform below par. As we say in
computer language – Garbage In, Garbage Out. High Quality of Service
standards are the answer improved performance of the ICT industry.
In conclusion, let me invite all our visitors to use whatever little spare
time they will get to explore Gaborone and enjoy the hospitality of
Batswana. This City is relatively small in geographic size and population
than most cities that you may be used to. Therefore, you will find it less
crowded and easy to crisscross. With those few remarks, Director of
Ceremonies, let me wish you all an enjoyable stay in Botswana and fruitful
deliberations over the next few days.
I thank you for your attention.
Pula! |
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