SECTOR 2 state radio has improved in the last two years and it is now reaching an estimated 85 percent of the population. Even people off the electricity grid can now watch television, due to the recent availability of cheap, Chinese-made solar panels in Botswana. There is still no community media – print or broadcasting – in Botswana. Media ownership Government owns the biggest media companies and has the widest distribution in the country, thus is most accessible to Batswana. Broadcasting around the country is dominated by state-owned television and radio stations, and the Daily News, a free publication which is widely distributed to most areas in the country. In rural areas, this is often the only print media product available, although it is sometimes up to a week late. The government also owns the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA). Internet Since the government launched the second phase of its Nteletsa (‘Call me’) project in 2010, it has become more common to find internet cafés in rural areas, whereas this would not have been the case previously. This is also a result of communities gaining access to electricity through Chinese-made solar panels. Since 2009, the Botswana Telecommunications Authority has commissioned private telecommunications experts to install phone and internet connections in rural areas. The main problem in getting all these communities linked up, is the lack of electricity, which is being addressed by a government rural electrification project. “In terms of infrastructure, there has already been an incremental improvement and a substantial enhancement to those communities now connected to electricity and telecommunications.” The penetration of mobile phones in Botswana is very strong: “Everyone has at least one cellphone.” At rural cattle posts, it is common to find people charging their cellphones using solar panels. Most people today are able to connect to the internet using their mobile phone. In terms of the cost of the internet, however, “comparatively, to other SADC countries, it is expensive”. The small bandwidth is a limiting factor in terms of access, while the data itself is very expensive. “There has been growth in the use of the internet in Botswana but the costs have not come down. Internet is accessible, but it is not affordable.” 26 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2011