26 November 2023
Botswana’s government has announced plans to develop rules for internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) as the country prepares to transition from internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) to the next generation.
IPv6 is the most recent version of the communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the internet. It was designed to deal with the long-anticipated problem of IPv4 address exhaustion.
According to the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), the migration will propel the country to reap the full benefits of digitisation as it strives to become a high-income country with a knowledge-based economy, as outlined in its transformational agenda Vision 2036. The Botswana Digital Transformation Strategy, which aims to provide a smart and sustainable society by digitising all sectors, is supporting the digitisation initiative.
An IPv6 migration strategy has been developed based on the current state of infrastructure, the technical skills available for IPv6, and the cost of switching. The strategy will provides goal milestones and dates to various stakeholders during the transition and deployment of IPv6 on various networks and services. It aims to ensure that the economy is fully converted by 2030.
An IPv6 task group will be established to produce a national IPv6 adoption plan. Internet service providers and operators will be responsible for developing an IPv6 adoption and implementation strategy in accordance with the IPv6 taskforce roadmap and submitting it to a regulator.
ITWeb Africa says that, according to Aaron Nyelesi, Director – Broadcasting & Corporate Communication at BOCRA, the standards will be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that they are in line with technical advancements and national regulations.
