Government has applauded Paratus Botswana for recently launching Botswana Kalahari Fiber (BKF) route. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Cecil Masiga said the route is a triumph for the local economy.
Masiga said the launch of BKF is a pivotal step towards achieving the country’s national goals as outlined in Vision 2036. “In today’s fast-paced world, reliable and high-speed internet connectivity is not a luxury but a necessity. It is the backbone of modern economies, a vital tool for businesses, and an essential service for our communities. “The strategic endeavour by Paratus Botswana to lay an 840-kilometer fiber route from Gaborone all the way to the Namibian border, is a ground-breaking project that promises to revolutionize our digital landscape,” said Masiga, adding that Paratus’ investment is a pillar the local economy can build digital future upon. “Their efforts in providing cutting-edge infrastructure and connectivity solutions play a critical role in transforming our nation.
“By ensuring that businesses and communities have access to reliable internet services, they empower Botswana to engage in the global digital economy, access educational resources, and improve their quality of life,” said Masiga. Last month, Paratus Botswana announced that it had completed the last leg of the new route, a total of 840 kilometers of fiber was laid between the Namibian border and Lobatse, an approximately P70 million investment. The BKF completes the last leg of the Paratus built Trans Kalahari Fiber (TKF) route which runs from Johannesburg to Swakopmund in Namibia.
“The new route creates the lowest latency primary transit path through Botswana and Namibia to Europe. The new BKF will connect Botswana and neighbouring countries to various international subsea cables, and to the rest of the world,” said Managing Director of Paratus Botswana, Shawn Bruwer. Few months ago, Paratus announced the launch of Gaborone metro fiber ring and says BKF is part of ongoing investment in network infrastructure to meet the growing demand for telecommunications services in the country.
“The Paratus quality network services offering is now even more compelling, particularly for the financial services and banking sectors or indeed any industry sector that needs to have an independent, reliable, and fully resilient connection all the time,” said Bruwer. BKF route has taken around 18-months to complete, and involved building infrastructure that includes 15 000 gum poles and 10,368 splices on 216 termination joints and was built entirely by local Botswana contractors and, indirectly, created around 100 jobs.
The new route runs from Lobatse and Tlokweng borders, via Gaborone, Molepolole and Letlhakeng, and then from Kang through to Charles Hill and the border into Namibia and connects Botswana to the new 144 Terabit Equiano subsea cable, for which the Paratus Group built the landing station in 2022, and which will provide even faster, reliable connections and more diverse routes across the region. Paratus Botswana and Paratus Namibia have worked closely together in the bid to connect South Africa to the Equiano cable in Swakopmund. By connecting to Equiano in Namibia, the BKF route will assist in enabling more product options and will help stimulate economic growth. According to the economic impact assessment conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, commissioned by Google, Equiano is forecast to more than double internet speeds and increase internet penetration by 7.5 percent in the next three years alone, while acting as a catalyst for considerable growth, job creation and sustainability in both Namibia and the whole region.
Masiga said the launch of BKF is a pivotal step towards achieving the country’s national goals as outlined in Vision 2036. “In today’s fast-paced world, reliable and high-speed internet connectivity is not a luxury but a necessity. It is the backbone of modern economies, a vital tool for businesses, and an essential service for our communities. “The strategic endeavour by Paratus Botswana to lay an 840-kilometer fiber route from Gaborone all the way to the Namibian border, is a ground-breaking project that promises to revolutionize our digital landscape,” said Masiga, adding that Paratus’ investment is a pillar the local economy can build digital future upon. “Their efforts in providing cutting-edge infrastructure and connectivity solutions play a critical role in transforming our nation.
“By ensuring that businesses and communities have access to reliable internet services, they empower Botswana to engage in the global digital economy, access educational resources, and improve their quality of life,” said Masiga. Last month, Paratus Botswana announced that it had completed the last leg of the new route, a total of 840 kilometers of fiber was laid between the Namibian border and Lobatse, an approximately P70 million investment. The BKF completes the last leg of the Paratus built Trans Kalahari Fiber (TKF) route which runs from Johannesburg to Swakopmund in Namibia.
“The new route creates the lowest latency primary transit path through Botswana and Namibia to Europe. The new BKF will connect Botswana and neighbouring countries to various international subsea cables, and to the rest of the world,” said Managing Director of Paratus Botswana, Shawn Bruwer. Few months ago, Paratus announced the launch of Gaborone metro fiber ring and says BKF is part of ongoing investment in network infrastructure to meet the growing demand for telecommunications services in the country.
“The Paratus quality network services offering is now even more compelling, particularly for the financial services and banking sectors or indeed any industry sector that needs to have an independent, reliable, and fully resilient connection all the time,” said Bruwer. BKF route has taken around 18-months to complete, and involved building infrastructure that includes 15 000 gum poles and 10,368 splices on 216 termination joints and was built entirely by local Botswana contractors and, indirectly, created around 100 jobs.
The new route runs from Lobatse and Tlokweng borders, via Gaborone, Molepolole and Letlhakeng, and then from Kang through to Charles Hill and the border into Namibia and connects Botswana to the new 144 Terabit Equiano subsea cable, for which the Paratus Group built the landing station in 2022, and which will provide even faster, reliable connections and more diverse routes across the region. Paratus Botswana and Paratus Namibia have worked closely together in the bid to connect South Africa to the Equiano cable in Swakopmund. By connecting to Equiano in Namibia, the BKF route will assist in enabling more product options and will help stimulate economic growth. According to the economic impact assessment conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, commissioned by Google, Equiano is forecast to more than double internet speeds and increase internet penetration by 7.5 percent in the next three years alone, while acting as a catalyst for considerable growth, job creation and sustainability in both Namibia and the whole region.
