(Ecofin Agency) - Demand for high speed connectivity in Botswana has prompted investors and operators to inject more funds into the sector. Since 2019, the market has been experiencing a strong momentum.

Broadband connectivity provider Paratus Africa has pumped about $6 million into the development of an optical fiber network across Botswana. The Managing Director Shawn Bruwer (pictured) said the new infrastructure will further connect all of the country’s main industrial and trade areas. The project is 98% achieved.

Once operational, it “will give businesses unmatched uptime via a quality connection and particularly at a time when network capacity is under pressure owing to remote working […] We already have a 100% independent microwave network and international connection and now the fiber will bolster the increasing bandwidth and uptime requirements for businesses on our diverse and independent network,” he said.

“Our fiber roll-out, which is 98% complete, adds an attractive additional layer to our services, enabling us to deliver unlimited bandwidth and uninterrupted services, no matter the environmental pressures we operate under,” he added.

Botswana’s data segment (operated by Mascom, Orange and BTC) has regained interest since 2019. The number of mobile broadband subscriptions increased by more than 16%, from 1,752,547 customers in March 2019 (according to the regulator) to over 2 million in 2020. That of fixed broadband, operated by 31 providers, increased by more than 46%, from 18,977 subscribers in June 2019 to more than 27,000 subscribers in 2020. Competition in the Botswana telecom market is high.

Paratus’s investments seek to strengthen its presence in the market. The company also plans to contribute to the country's digital development, making it a hub in the Southern African sub-region.

Muriel Edjo