BTC Unveils October 5G Launch Plans in Botswana

Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), a majority state-owned operator in Botswana, plans to launch its commercial 5G network on October 5, marking its entry into Botswana's 5G market. The launch will be the result of BTC's recent investment of over 240 million Botswanan Pula ($17.8 million) for the 2026/27 financial year.

The investment is focused on strengthening network infrastructure and includes the deployment of 5G, expansion of 4G services, and increased capacity. This figure is slightly higher than the $16.7 million spent by BTC in the previous financial year to modernize its mobile network and expand coverage.

BTC's CEO, Jürgen Peschel, stated that data services are now available at all sites where voice services were previously offered, with capacity at existing data sites increasing up to fivefold. The company has also upgraded 151 sites from 2G to 4G and launched Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) during the previous financial year.

The launch will intensify competition in Botswana's 5G market, which is currently dominated by Mascom Wireless and Orange Botswana, both of whom entered the market in 2022. BTC plans to expand its 5G network beyond Gaborone to other cities and villages across Botswana.