ICT entrepreneur bemoans high internet prices
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday May 23, 2017 17:06
He bemoaned the internet fees at the recent World Telecommunications and Information Society Day (WTISD) commemorations over the weekend here at Masunga Senior Secondary School.
When delivering his welcome remarks Sethupa said that youth are faced with difficulties to incorporate the ICT in their business operations as a result of high prices charged by local service providers.
He said that this year’s theme, ‘Big Data for Big Impact’ is a clear testimony that with the abundance of data, the ICT compliant will be higher.
“The high prices if not reviewed, will defeat the purpose of using the ICT to develop our business.
It is therefore my wish that the Government may give it a priority that fees for ICT are affordable to Batswana,” he said.
He added that such action would empower more entrepreneurs to make a meaningful contribution to the economy of Botswana.
Sethupa said that internet connectivity is proving to be a challenge in North-East district hence needs collaboration with service providers and government to improve on access to internet connectivity.
His desire is for the youth to desist from abusing their right to access technology by misusing social media platforms such as Facebook to insult elders because such behaviour can create havoc in the community.
He said that the adoption of ICT would curb the rural urban migration as most products can be produced in rural areas and marketed in the cities with ease.
The entrepreneur said that the arrangement would boost the rural economies and create employment opportunities for the skilled and unskilled locals.
He applauded organisations such as Mascom for setting up Kitsong Centre in Masunga, hence encouraging other service providers to follow suit in order to increase an uptake of technology in the district.
Sethupa congratulated the Government saying though there are limitations, they are trying by all means to ensure that the internet connectivity is accessed by Batswana to improve their daily business operations.
When giving his keynote address the Minister of Transport and Communications, Kitso Mokaila said the WTISD commemoration is a global event that marks an important day in the history of development of telecommunications and ICT.
He said that data is generated through different communication media such as telephones, newspapers, televisions, radios and social media networks, which are very vital to the development of people’s lives.
The Minister added that it is therefore crucial to manipulate these communication channels and take advantage of Big Data, which is an application of data analysis to discom patterns and correlations, which could give meaning to abstract concepts such as human preferences and customer behaviour applications to business decisions.
Mokaila said that Big Data could help Botswana to develop through operational efficiency and it has created a platform where individuals can also conduct differing businesses faster in order to promote their livelihood and increase productivity.
He said that Big Data could also help the country to develop through operational efficiency technology could help business people analyse their market, environment and even study the demographic framework of their communities.
He said that entrepreneurs will be able to make products, which are in demand, and this will enable more new business entrants in the market, which could diversify the economy of the country.
Mokaila said that as a country they could be able to improve their global competitiveness by providing innovative products in the global market by using different ICT strategies.
He said that harnessing Big Data technology would create employment for computer-based including ICT graduates.
Mokaila said that Big Data will opportune creative youth with the knowledge of ICT to be able to create innovative products, which could boost the economy of Botswana and compete in the global market.