Botswana Fiber Networks

Botswana Fibre Networks Ltd (BoFiNet) is a wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure.

BoFiNet’s mandate is to provide and operate a world class telecommunications backbone network infrastructure which will drive connectivity and economic growth. BoFiNet services retail organizations in the telecommunications industry such as licensed Public Telecommunications Operators, licensed Value Added Network Service Providers and International Communications Operators/Carriers.

BoFiNet is owned by the Botswana Government. It was established in 2012 and has been established as a commercial and self-sustainable business and strategy. BoFiNet operates, focuses upon and improves the backbone network and wholesale market. This is expected to improve competitiveness in the downstream telecommunications market and confidence from wholesale customers that BoFiNet acts in their interest as it is not a competitor. There is also a potential for alternative revenue generation for the Botswana Government through regional transit services and utilization of excess capacity on the International assets.

As as a wholesale provider of telecommunications distributing to retail telecommunication companies already in existence in Botswana, BoFiNet does not sell directly to end users. BoFiNet was established to improve fibre network wholesale offerings and services. In addition, the prohibitively high price of connectivity in the market, which limits take-up of services, played a role in the need for an organization such as BoFiNet. Moreover, the wholesale layer in Botswana is generally poorly serviced and the existing fibre infrastructure is under-utilized, failing to maximize the investment Government has made in the network.

In recent years the Botswana Government has supported three significant relevant investments, which will all move to be managed by BoFiNet:

Development of the National fibre network, in particular in the trans-Kalahari region and metro fibre networks in Gaborone and Francistown

Acquisition of stakes in the EASSy and WACS submarine cables

A dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system which is designed to use to its full potential the national fibre network (this system is currently being installed and is not yet operational)

BoFiNet provides an average of at least 10–12 fibre pairs, allowing for maximum efficiency and capability, as compared to th