Internet traffic to reach all-time high by 2020

When Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) was launched in 2013, Internet traffic was at 2.3 Gigabytes per second. Today Botswana’s Internet traffic stands at +10.4 Gigabytes per second and is expected to exceed 25 Gigabytes per second by 2020. BoFiNet, the wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure, revealed this on Wednesday at its media breakfast in Gaborone.

Adrin Sivako, Technical Executive at BoFiNet explained that, according to the exponential growth patterns, “We estimate the traffic bandwidth to reach 25 Gigabytes by the year 2020. The majority of our traffic goes to Europe and USA. According to global Internet perspective currently, there is too much volume of traffic which sits around 80 Exabyte’s/month, this is equivalent to 1 million DVDs played per day. Botswana’s Internet traffic by volume only generates around 45 000 DVDs per day, which is 601 bytes.”

On the other hand Sivako revealed that, “operators are making sure that they provide high speed Internet. They are now considering 5G connectivity.” There has always been a bad experience with the already existing 3G and 4G networks, which the local mobile operators are continuing to roll out across the country. However, BoFiNet CEO Mabua Mabua remains hopeful that as the 5G comes in, “As an economy I believe we can catch-up and be able to have a reliable and fast connectivity.”

On the slow pace of internet services, Mabua said BoFiNet has always provided the best infrastructure and services to the operators, therefore if the end users are unable to access a service from a service provider, whether bank or mobile operator or electricity vendor, they should always challenge the usual statements of ‘its network fault’. “Chances are that the fault is with that particular service provider. BoFiNet has infrastructure that guarantees high quality service. “BOCRA as a regulator then has to enforce the ISPs to provide high quality service to the end user to ensure that they get value for their money,” he said.

BOCRA is currently undertaking an exercise on cost and pricing modelling. Mabua noted that, “The advocacy for lower tariffs continues. We may reduce the tariffs but there are no guarantees that the ISPs will translate that to the end consumer.” This still remains the duty of the regulator, BOCRA to enforce.