Botswana properties face Internet access regulations

BOTSWANA
accommodation providers
are under pressure by the
Botswana Communications
Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)
to offer Internet access across
all properties by August next
year.
BOCRA’s new guidelines
apply to guesthouses,
lodges, campsites, motels
and hotels and prescribe
minimum Internet bandwidth
requirements, based on a
facility’s grading and number
of rooms.
BOCRA is consulting with
the Botswana Tourism
Organisation (BTO) to create
a standard where noncompliance
with the guidelines
will affect the hospitality
ranking of a property. However,
implementation is at the
discretion of the BTO. The
guidelines prescribe the
minimum bandwidth, network
security and monitoring
measures, maintenance and
upgrading of networks, the
availability of IT staff and
universal Internet coverage in
the facilities.
BOCRA says the hospitality
industry can benefit by
meeting the needs of guests,
whose demand for fast and
reliable Internet is growing
exponentially.
Founder of World Wide Worx,
Arthur Goldstuck, said: “The
availability of WiFi is going to
be a big attraction. People
don’t mind switching off but
they are terrified of being out
of touch, especially if they are
business decision makers.”
However, an accommodation
provider in Botswana told
TNW that, although they
already offered free WiFi, they
didn’t comply with BOCRA’s
guidelines. “From an industry
perspective, the guidelines are
good and for the most part
practical. They encompass
the majority of service areas.
However the commercial
viability of providing free,
universal access in all areas
for the larger hotels could be
challenged.”
Some tour operators believe
the destination will lose its
charm of being ‘cut-off’ from
the rest of the world.
Billy Hare of Rhino Africa
Safaris said: “It’s very rare that
people will find it acceptable
that there is a lodge or hotel
anywhere in the world that
doesn’t have WiFi or Internet
connection. Around 80% of our
clients are from America, so it
is something they expect but,
ironically, it is the thing that
sets these properties apart
and that counts in their favour.”
Chris Roche, chief marketing
officer of Wilderness Safaris,
agrees: “We do not, as a
general rule, provide Internet
access to guests in our
camps. We believe that it is a
genuine unique selling point to
be able to disconnect from the
modern world and reconnect
with nature, yourself and your
family.” He added that Internet
access was available to guests
who requested it.