Botswana, located in landlocked southern Africa, faces technological and infrastructural challenges due to its sparse population distribution and large, remote territories. Despite these challenges, the country has made strides in telecommunications through the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority, which has pushed for the development of robust mobile and broadband services. Recent network expansion projects, creating more than 400 telecommunication towers across the country has improved coverage. However, despite these efforts, Internet penetration is still low, highlighting the ongoing challenge of technology access in Botswana's vast, sparsely populated areas.

ITU Region
Region-1
Geographic Region
Regulatory Body
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority BOCRA
Botswana map

Mobile Network Operators

The are 3 companies operating mobile networks in this region.

BTC Botswana logo
Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) is a telecommunications and Internet service provider that was established in 1980. The corporation is headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana and was initially a government entity. BTC was responsible for the development, operation, and management of Botswana's national and international telecommunications services. The Botswana government holds 100% equity in the company, making it a parastatal organisation. In 1996, an amendment of the BTC Act allowed indirect competition from two cellular companies, Mascom and Orange Botswana, ending BTC's...
Country
Mascom logo
Mascom Wireless Proprietary Limited is a mobile telecommunications company based in Gaborone, Botswana. The company was established on February 17, 1998, by Strive Masiyiwa. The initial controlling stake was owned by Portugal Telecom until 2003. Later, in 2005, MTN Group acquired a 44% stake in Mascom. Dzene Makhwade-Seboni took over as the Chief Operations Officer in 2016 and ascended to the role of CEO in 2019.
Country
Orange logo

Orange Botswana is the second largest telecommunications company operating in Botswana. Established in 1998, Orange Botswana is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, a leading telecommunications corporation based in France. The Botswana government does not hold any ownership in Orange Botswana, with the company being entirely owned by the Orange Group.

Country