Botswana internet access provider BOTSGATE has slashed its wholesale tariffs by 59%, after the country successfully connected to an undersea broadband cable this year.

BOTSGATE, which is a subsidiary of the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), offers a Virtual Port Dialup Network (VPDN) or Virtual Point of Presence (VPoP) service to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and corporations. Critics in the past have lashed out at the company for offering poor service.

But after the landlocked nation connected to the 17,200km West Africa Cable System (WACS) this year, the firm says it can offer a faster and more reliable internet service.

BTC chief executive, Paul Taylor, has said the reduction should allow broadband access to be enjoyed by all citizens, preventing it from being luxury.

“The expectation is that BTC Wholesale customers being Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Value Added Network Services (VANs), Public Telephony Operators (PTOs) including the BTC retail will turn in pass on the cost benefit to the end customer and have them enjoy reduced pricing on broadband services,” Taylor said.