Botswana Fibre Networks Limited has said it does not view Mascom Wireless as a competitor following news that it has invested heavily on its own fibre-optic cable infrastructure.
BoFiNet Communications and Marketing Specialist, Kungo Mabogo, revealed that the cable is to serve the needs of the local mobile phone company while acknowledging it is creating more options.
“It is a positive thing for Mascom as it creates options and also increases access of network for Batswana, however, it is a minimal option as the capacity is less than what BoFiNet has and the intensions differ,” said Mabogo.
The investment took place before BoFiNet was launched and Mabogo said they will never view Mascom as a rival let alone competition. The two organisations recently struck a deal to work together for the next five years on a contract for provision of international internet bandwidth worth P34 million.
She is of the view that BoFiNet has a larger capacity of the both the West Africa Cable System (WACS) and the East Africa Submarine System (EASSY).
BoFiNet is a wholesale provider of telecommunications products, distributing to retail telecommunication companies already in existence in Botswana such as BTC, Mascom and Orange and does not sell directly to end users while Mascom is Public Telecommunications Operator (PTO).
“BoFiNet’s strategic intent is ensure that there is access of network in the country and lower prices for Batswana to have and afford access to internet and public telecommunication,” said Mabogo.
The organisation headed by Mabua Mabua is a commercial entity that is expected to improve the knowledge and accessibility of network and sale fibre to the PTO to access triple play (mobile voice, data and internet) and to sale to the ISPN and VANS to access double play (data and internet).
Mabogo stated that BoFiNet is targeting all the PTO, the Internet Service Providers Network (ISPN), and the Value Add Network Services (VANS) in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Kenya, South Africa and London.
“In the near future we will have other products that we will avail to our customers and believe that at the beginning of 2014 we will have Collocation available,” she revealed.
