Botswana - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - 2009 Edition

Botswana - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - 2009 Edition

Executive summary

Botswana is one of Africa’s wealthiest nations with a thriving economy mainly based on diamond mining and tourism. Regulatory reform has turned the country into one of the most liberalised telecommunications markets in the region, including a new service-neutral licensing regime which takes into account the increasing convergence of technologies and services.
Mobile penetration is approaching 100%, which is more than twice the continents average. However, ARPU has dropped sharply following the entry of a third operator and a sharp drop in GDP as a result of the global economic crisis.
In a bid to generate new revenue streams and secure market share, the three mobile operators – Mascom Wireless (an affiliate of South Africa’s MTN), Orange Botswana and BeMobile (a subsidiary of fixed-line incumbent BTC) – have entered the underdeveloped broadband sector with different strategies including 3G mobile, WiMAX and bundling with fixed-line (ADSL) services. Here they are competing with a large number of ISPs, some of which are rolling out their own wireless access infrastructure.
A nationwide fibre backbone supports a wide range of services, and the landlocked countrys access to international bandwidth is being improved by a regional fibre backbone network and new submarine fibre optic cables off the continent’s east and west coasts.
The planned privatisation of BTC has been postponed in the wake of the global economic crisis but is expected to be resumed in the near future.

Key highlights:

One of the highest levels of mobile and fixed-line penetration in Africa;
Market analysis 2009;
GDP drops sharply as a result of the global economic crisis, full recovery by 2012;
Comparison with other countries in the region in terms of GDP, mobile, fixed and Internet market penetration;
Profiles of major players in all market sectors;
BTC forms new business unit for converged services in preparation for privatisation;
BTC financial results;
National fibre rollout;
Mobile ARPU drops sharply in 2009;
Different mobile operator strategies to tackle the broadband market;
Pricing comparison of all major broadband services (ADSL, WiMAX, 3G mobile).This annual report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Botswana’s telecommunications market.

Subjects covered include:

Key statistics;
Market and industry overviews;
The impact of the global economic crisis;
Regulatory environment and structural reform;
Major players (fixed, mobile and broadband);
Infrastructure development;
Mobile voice and data markets;
Average Revenue per User (ARPU) trends;
Internet and broadband development;
Convergence (voice/data, fixed/wireless/mobile).For those needing high level strategic information and objective analysis on the telecommunications sector in Botswana, this report is essential reading and gives further information on:

One of the most penetrated mobile markets in Africa;
Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
The impact of the global economic crisis;
Market liberalisation and regulatory issues;
Telecoms operators – privatisation, acquisitions, new licences;
Internet and broadband development and growth;
Mobile data services;
Average Revenue per User (ARPU).

1. Executive summary
2. Key statistics
2.1 Country overview
3. Telecommunications market
3.1 Market analysis 2009
3.2 Regional statistical comparison
4. Regulatory environment
4.1 Background
4.2 Regulatory authority
4.2.1 Botswana Telecommunications Authority
4.3 Universal Service and Access Strategy
4.4 Interconnection and tariffs
4.5 Telecom sector liberalisation in Botswana
4.5.1 Regulatory reform 2006
4.5.2 Service-neutral licences since 2007
5. Fixed network operator in Botswana
5.1 Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC)
5.1.1 Financial results
5.1.2 Privatisation
5.1.3 Services
5.1.4 Fixed-line statistics
5.1.5 Fixed-line infrastructure
5.1.6 Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
5.1.7 Public payphones
5.1.8 National backbone network
5.1.9 International infrastructure
6. Internet market
6.1 Overview
6.1.1 Internet statistics
6.2 Public Internet access facilities
6.3 Botswana’s ISP market
6.3.1 Botsnet
6.3.2 MTN Business (formerly Verizon, UUNet)
6.3.3 InfoBotswana (IBIS)
6.3.4 Broadband Botswana Internet (BBI)
6.3.5 OPQ Net
6.3.6 Mega Internet
6.3.7 Global Broadband Solution (GBS)
6.3.8 Tsagae Communications
6.3.9 Virtual Business Network Services (VBN)
6.4 Botswana Internet Exchange (BINX)
7. Broadband market
7.1 Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
7.2 Wireless broadband
7.3 WiMAX
7.3.1 Orange Livebox
7.3.2 Netspread
8. Convergence
8.1 VoIP telephony
8.2 Next Generation Network (NGN)
8.3 E-Health, E-Learning
9. Mobile communications
9.1 Overview of Botswana’s mobile market
9.1.1 Mobile statistics
9.2 Regulatory issues
9.2.1 Interconnection
9.2.2 Backbone infrastructure
9.2.3 Airtime tax
9.2.4 Registration of subscriber details
9.3 Major mobile operators
9.3.1 Mascom Wireless
9.3.2 Orange Botswana (formerly Vista Cellular)
9.3.3 BeMobile (BTC)
9.4 Coverage maps
9.5 Mobile data servivces
9.6 Third generation (3G)
9.7 Mobile banking
10. Related reports
Table 1 – Country statistics Botswana – 2009
Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2008
Table 3 – Internet provider statistics – September 2009
Table 4 – Internet user statistics – 2008
Table 5 – Mobile statistics – March 2009
Table 6 – National telecommunications authority
Table 7 – GDP per capita in Botswana and other countries in the region – 2009
Table 8 – Mobile penetration in Botswana and other countries in the region – March 2009
Table 9 – Internet user penetration in Botswana and other countries in the region – 2008
Table 10 – Fixed-line penetration in Botswana and other countries in the region – 2008
Table 11 – BTC financial results – 2005 - 2008
Table 12 – Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995; 1997 - 2008
Table 13 – Internet users and penetration rate – 1998 - 2008
Table 14 – ADSL pricing examples – 2009
Table 15 – Orange Livebox WiMAX pricing – 2009
Table 16 – Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1998 - 2009
Table 17 – Mobile subscribers by operator and annual change – March 2009
Table 18 – Mascom monthly ARPU – 2005 - 2009
Table 19 – Mascom mobile data pricing – 2009
Table 20 – Orange Botswana mobile data pricing – 2009
Table 21 – Mascom 3G broadband pricing – 2009
Table 22 – Orange Flybox 3G+ pricing – 2009
Exhibit 1 – Map of Botswana
Exhibit 2 – Mascom coverage map – October 2009
Exhibit 3 – Orange Botswana coverage map – October 2009
Exhibit 4 – BeMobile coverage map – October 2009