Botswana is a landlocked country. It invested in the West Africa Cable System (WACS) which it connected to through Namibia. It is now reaping the benefits.
Internet prices are expected to go down as the Botswana Telecommunications Corporations (BTC) Group has slashed its wholesale internet bandwidth prices by 59 percent due to the commissioning of the West Africa Cable System (WACS) undersea cable.
There is a lesson here for other landlocked countries. Either connect to undersea cables using open-access terrestrial cables, or go the Iraq route and connect to a terrestrial network.
The price decrease is effective August 1, 2012, according to a statement from Paul Taylor, BTC Group chief executive officer.
Taylor says the reduction has allowed BTC to subsequently pass on the cost benefit of reliable internet accessibility to its wholesale customers. Broadband access should, therefore, no longer be looked upon as a luxury but a right to be enjoyed by all citizens.
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Abu Saeed Khan
A good blend of submarine and terrestrial transmission, as it has happened in Europe. Open access is central to Botswana’s success, as the report says, “Botswana and Namibia thus own 9.2 percent of the project, which will be operated on an open access policy with other stakeholders.”
Importance of different transmission medium (satellite, submarine and terrestrial) needs to be recognized in international connectivity. Business, not politics, should drive such initiatives. Asia should learn it from Africa.