04 Dec 2013

Botswana Fibre Networks (BOFiNet) and Botswana Telecommunications Limited (BTCL) officials have been urged to work together and deliver first class service.

Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Nonofo Molefhi said this at a handing over ceremony of assets from BTCL to Bofinet in Gaborone on December 3. He said the two entities should continue working together to avoid transitional teething problems that would end up affecting clients.

Mr Molefhi said since BOFiNet was still at an infant stage in the market, they should stick to BTCL for help since they had been in the market for a long time and had all the necessary experience in the running of a network distribution.

He, however, urged them to up their game and adjust to the situation as there would be no time for excuses and as such, they should strive to deliver best quality service to clients.

For his part, the BTCL managing director, Mr Paul Taylor said in 2010, government approved a strategy that involved among other things, the establishment of a separate entity to manage and operate long distance transmission networks, hence the birth of BOFiNet.

Mr Taylor said such services had until recently been provided by BTCL and the strategy initiated a journey that ended in the creation of a new operating environment for the local telecommunications industry. He said for the new company to be fully operational, certain assets and capabilities need to be transferred from BTCL to the new entity and said a large number of activities have been undertaken by stakeholders to get the two companies where they are now.

He said BTCL undertook extensive surveys of approximately 200 sites throughout the country to confirm the inventory of assets that would transfer and assured the gathering that they will continue to support BOFiNet whilst it builds its own capabilities by providing certain services to BOFiNet under a services agreement.

Mr Taylor said the newly deployed dense wave division multiplex system, including the hardware, software, licenses, supporting contracts, network equipment countrywide and in London, spares and vehicles used to deploy the network will form the first batch of the assets transfer.

He said the East Africa Sea System (EASSY) and West Africa Cable System (WACS) rights and obligations plus backhaul links connecting these systems through Telkom Namibia and Telkom South Africa will also be relinquished.

He also said BTCL hands over all supporting supplier agreements that enable end-to-end connectivity of the international links such as the Global switch co-local agreement, BT Master Services Agreement, Djibouti Telecom Master Services Agreement.

Mr Taylor said the second phase of the handing over will include all fibre, ducts and manholes, chambers and footway boxes and land rights to forty equipment sites among others. Ends