MINISTRY OF WORKS, TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION 1.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The telecommunications sector in Botswana is characterised by a growing unsatisfied demand for telecommunications services in both urban and rural areas and among businesses as well as households. In order to satisfy the demand and exploit the opportunities of the industry to contribute to social and economic development, far reaching structural changes are necessary. The policies outlined in this paper are built around the three national goals of universal service, efficient services and regional balance. Attainment of these long term goals is dependent on a clear division of roles and functions of the actors in the industry and will need dear and pronounced principles to guide the restructuring process. The principles on which the liberalisation programme is based can be summarized as follows: • competition as a means to increase efficiency and diversify supply of services • participation of the private sector in development of the industry to increase resources and supply • transparency in decision making to promote confidence regulation of supply conditions to promote competition and attainment of national goals • participation of users to ensure sustained development and protection of consumers from uneven competition. In a liberalised telecommunications industry, a new structure could be envisaged as follows: • consumers will have a strong position and be the focus of the market actors • competing operators provide increased and diversified networks and services • Government assumes the policy function and establishes the legal framework 4 TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY FOR BOTSWANA