Gaborone – Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Honourable Thulagano Segokgo applauded Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) for pioneering telecommunications in Botswana, as it reaffirms Government’s commitment to a digitally transformed and knowledgeable society.
The Minister further highlighted that the Government of Botswana recently introduced the national ICT policy, called Maitlamo, which functions as a blueprint through which social, economic, cultural, and political transformation will be executed, to better ensure that “No one is left behind”.
Hounarable Segokgo said “Maitlamo policy aims to provide a communications network that equates high international standards and ensures the country has the relevant skills to be an ICT champion”.
The BTC Board Chairperson Ms. Lorato Boakgomo Ntakhwana stated that BTC’s vast network envelopes the entire country making the next step of national digitization a natural extension of capabilities already housed within this strategic national asset.
She said “Our Network is available in all terrains using next generation technologies such as VSAT in remote out of grid areas using satellites that beam across continents.
With speeds of up 250 Mega Bites Per second (mbps) we are talking international standards of speed, access and convenience”.
Ms Boakgomo Ntakhwana stated that “education, tourism and agriculture are some of the critical sectors that benefit immensely from these out of grid specialized products of connectivity”.
The BTC Managing Director, Mr. Anthony Masunga presented on the topic ‘BTC as the anchor of the Botswana Digital Agenda’.
He outlined that “BTC has evolved to partner with Government as the Nation transitions to a knowledge- based economy. We state in our purpose that ‘we exist to provide superior digital solutions to our people to enable them to live connected.
Our team of over 1000 people are exceedingly proud of our track record spanning 40 years”. The MD concluded by thanking and recognizing some of its partners who contributed by sponsoring the summit namely Spacecom, Subex, Fortinet, Stencil Technologies, CISCO and Botswana Fibre Networks (BOFINET).
The 1st ever Enterprise summit themed Digital Shift BW- “Transforming Botswana for success in the digital age” is aimed at driving Botswana’s transformation agenda and positioning the economy and enterprises operating in it for greater success.
The summit brought together over forty (40) local and international leaders, visionaries, digital innovators, and changemakers who are at the forefront of digital transformation to speak on 6 broad thematic areas namely Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics, Connectivity including 5G, Cloud Services and Mobility, Fintech & Blockchain, Digital & Technology Policy & Regulation and The Internet of Things. (BWGovernment)