No Internet access in most households, survey shows

Isaac Pinielo | Thursday March 2, 2017 16:19

This constitutes 59.4% of all the 610,000 households in Botswana.

 In its latest ICT household survey for 2014, the national data office said the highest percentage, 15.1% of those unconnected were in the Kweneng East District followed by Gaborone with 10.4% of households with no Internet access. Central Tutume was next with 7.6% of all households with no Internet access.

According to SB, the most common reason (35%) given by households for not having access to Internet was lack of knowledge.

These are the households that did not know that Internet was existent.

The second most common reason was lack of skills, given by 20.4% of all households with no access to Internet. Households that accounted for 18.9% also indicated that Internet equipment was too costly while some 16.3% mentioned that they did not need it.

Data shows that households with access to Internet comprised 40.6% of all households in 2014. Mobile Internet was the most prevalent among the households and it was used by 94.3% of all households with access to Internet.

Fixed wireless was the next most prevalent Internet connection used by most households at 9.8% followed by asymmetric digital subscriber line at 7.3%.

Households headed by those within the age groups 25-34 years and 35-44 years dominated in households with access to Internet.

 Most households with access to Internet were headed by those with tertiary and secondary school education.

Individuals who used a computer in 2014 amounted to 41.4% of the population aged 10 years and over.

Of these individuals, 46.8% were male while 53.2% were female.

Individuals mostly used computers at home, 49% while a few of them used it in commercial facilities. Computer users were mostly within the age group 15-44 years.

The survey revealed that in every district of Botswana, there were computer users.

However, Gaborone dominated by having the highest proportion of computer users as it accounted for 27.5%. Kweneng East District, which includes some of the most populated villages in Botswana, was next after Gaborone with 15% of computer users.

Ngwaketse West District and Sowa Town had the least proportion of individual computer users.

Of all individuals who used a computer in 2014, 45.4% of them used it every day or almost every day. Those who used a computer at least once a week but not every day constituted 31.4% of total computer users while those who used it at least once a month but not every week constituted only 6.9%.

There were also individuals in 2014 who used a computer once in a while. This group constituted 16.3% of all computer users.

Gaborone, with 36.7% had the largest proportion of individuals who used a computer every day or almost every day.

Kweneng East and South East Districts followed with 15.6% and 7.4% respectively.