04 Feb 2016

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo says the Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) completed the installation and commissioning of a fibre backbone network in August 2015 covering communities between Maun and Ngoma passing through the Chobe National Park.

The Member of Parliament for Chobe, Mr Ronald Shamukuni had wanted the minister to update Parliament on how the installation of communication infrastructure in the Savuti/ Linyanti area has progressed.

“The following communities were covered under the fibre communication network infrastructure project: Shorobe, Sankuyu, Mababe, Khwai, Kachikau, Kavimba, Mabele and Ngoma,” he said.

He said there was another ongoing project that would connect the villages of Parakarungu and Satau to the national fibre network, and that the target completion date was April 2016.

“It must be noted that for the services to be accessed by customers in these communities, public telecommunications operators (PTOs) need to install base stations to extend the services to the customers,” he said.

Mr Mabeo lamented that since the backbone network was recently completed by BoFinet, PTOs had not budgeted for the roll-out of services to the affected communities during this financial year.

He said the operators were to consider the rollout of services in their upcoming financial year. ENDS