UUNET has bought a 50% stake in local Botswana ISP, Interswana, and is in the process of rolling-out high quality radio based Internet connectivity to Gaborone and the Selebi/Phikwe, Serowe/Palapye and Francistown/Maun areas. The Gaborone infrastructure will be complete by July, with other links following shortly thereafter.
Says UUNET SA`s Rob Lith: "The Botswana economy has been growing consistently at between 4% and 6% in the past few years and in 1999 GDP grew at 8.3%.
"As a result, a number of global and South African businesses already operating in or considering expansion into the mining, pharmaceutical, financial, aviation, automotive and IT sectors in Botswana are anxious to have world class Internet connectivity inside the country."
Newly appointed GM of Interswana, Tunku Motsumi, says: "UUNET`s stake in Interswana positions us as a global player in the Botswana market and gives us the necessary financial, human, technical and strategic resources for growth.
"Also, our customers are being connected to the Internet by a network provider that is currently at the cutting edge of world class communications technology and has the critical mass to stay there."
In order to provide high quality Internet connectivity to Interswana customers quickly, UUNET has opted for a network infrastructure based on radio facilities.
"The radio option is flexible, reliable and robust, offering mobile facilities in normally inaccessible locations at bandwidths that have fewer limitations than fixed line links - so it is a good option for Africa generally," says Lith.
UUNET has had considerable positive experience with radio-linked Internet in South Africa. "One of our earliest experiences was the Billabong surfing championships in Jeffrey`s Bay last July, where UUNET streamed world-class video live from the beach to Internet users all over the world."
In the run up to its roll-out in Gaborone, UUNET is providing radio frequency-based Internet connectivity to the Grand Palm hotel for the use of delegates to the African Centre for Statistical Studies conference which started on Monday 26 June 2000.
Lith points out that "the capacity of hotels to provide Internet connectivity to their guests is vital for attracting conference business and is not readily available in most African countries.
"By using the radio option we were able to install Internet facilities for the Grand Palm very quickly - in time for a very large conference." UUNET is using Breezecom`s BreezeAccess equipment for its radio network in Botswana.
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