13 Oct 2024

Botswana Fibre Network (BoFiNet) the mainstay of the local telecommunications infrastructure, has attained significant achievements in providing essential services that drive the digital transformation in its 10 years of existence. 

BoFiNet public relations, marketing and communications manager, Ms Keleabetswe Loeto says the institution, which turns 10 this year, has significantly contributed to the country＊s economy and digital landscape.

The company has deployed and manages over 12 400km of fibre network covering almost the entire country, urban and remote areas alike.

She said the infrastructure development, which had enhanced the efficiency of various sectors such as healthcare, education, and indeed government services in general, had also positioned the country for new generation technologies such as 5G.

Also, she said the  country＊ internet coverage has seen significant growth in recent years, adding that while urban areas benefit from extensive fibre-optic networks, rural areas are increasingly gaining internet access through wireless solutions.

Furthermore, Ms Loeto said BoFiNet's infrastructure delivered fast and reliable internet. ※Just recently, Botswana＊s internet speed was rated second in Africa,§ she reflected on yet another milestone.  As for the pricing, she said BoFiNet as a wholesale provider did not control retail pricing of Internet services.

However, she said it advocated for the regulator of Internet service providers to monitor pricing closely and ensure affordable access to high-speed Internet for all citizens regardless of their income levels.

In servicing the country, she said BoFiNet encountered several challenges such as infrastructure vandalism and high operational costs, adding that Fibre cuts remained a significant issue that had led to service outages and costly repairs. Challenges like the vandalism of fibre cables occasionally affect service quality, she said.

Notwithstanding such, she said there were ongoing investments in network security and infrastructure improvements purposed to mitigate such issues and enhance service delivery. ※The main challenge we are facing is vandalism of fibre cables.  This results in frequent service disruptions and expensive repairs. In 2023 alone, BoFiNet spent over P12million in the repair of damaged fibre cables,§ she said.

Also, she said BoFiNet as a consortium member of the West Africa Cable System and the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System, has secured high-speed international bandwidth for Botswana, which positioned Botswana as a regional hub for international data exchange, creating business opportunities even outside the borders of Botswana.

Furthermore, BoFiNet has built strong collaborations with internet service providers, mobile network operators and government entities, which partnerships have driven Botswana's economic growth by supporting digital initiatives such as e-government, e-commerce, and digital financial services, in line with the National Broadband Strategy.

Fibre-to-the-Home initiative is one of the company's flagship programmes that have delivered high-speed Internet directly to households in some parts of Gaborone, meeting the growing demand for faster Internet driven by online education, streaming services, and remote work.

Another achievement is Botswana's first streaming platform, UPICtv, which offers high-quality entertainment and educational content tailored to local preferences as well as support the creative industry and position BoFiNet as a leader in digital content distribution.

BoFiNet also has the Digital Delta Data Centre, which will provide businesses and government entities with secure, scalable, and reliable hosting solutions, ensuring data sovereignty and supporting Botswana's digital economy.

Another initiative worth celebrating is the SmartBots Village Connectivity project, in which BoFiNet is a technical partner to government in the implementation of 1 138 free public Wi-Fi hotspots in schools, health facilities and dikgotla across the country. BoFiNet has once again been appointed to deploy phase II of this project, Ms Loeto said. Ends