Wanetsha Mosinyi
9 April 2008
Gaborone — The Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) is offering free sim cards to members of the public to make unlimited calls for free to test the network capacity of its inaugural mobile phone service.
An official from the state landline monopoly said they have had a soft launch since the end of March. This enables people to call as much as they want to stress the network to see if it can handle the pressure.
"We want to fix any loopholes or shortcomings of our network before we get to the commercial launch," said the official. BTC public relations manager, James Molosankwe said yesterday that the soft launch is a continuation of the network testing that they started last year with their staff. The testing has now been widened to about 15,000 BTC fixed line customers countrywide. The exercise is expected to last until the end of this month. "The feedback we have already received from our customers is satisfactory," Molosankwe said. He added that they have been awarded the 73 number range. The commercial launch of BTC Mobile is expected at the end of this month. BTC will set the exact date for the launch after sorting out certain logistical problems. As a subsidiary of BTC, the new mobile company is going to enjoy an extensive national grid that covers almost the entire country.
The two existing mobile companies Mascom and Orange rely on BTC grid for network distribution. It remains to be seen if the grid will handle three networks. Last year, Botswana Telecommunications Authority (BTA) awarded BTC a neutral license, which permits the parastatal to go into the lucrative mobile phone service industry.
The licenses were extended to Mascom and Orange who can now venture into the fixed line service. Government issued the licenses in a move geared to liberalise the telecommunications industry.
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