Internet bandwidth prices in Lesotho have fallen by as much as 67% owing to the country being connected to terrestrial and submarine fibre-optic cable networks, says a West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) statement.

WIOCC has investments, for example, in undersea cables along Africa's coastline such as Eassy and SEACOM.

“Until recently, internet access in Lesotho terminated in South Africa and was shaped and thus limited in international capacity,” said WIOCC CEO, Chris Wood.

“The connection provided by WIOCC terminates in Europe and provides Lesotho with faster and more affordable connectivity. This change will have a significant impact on the daily lives of the Basotho and Lesotho businesses..

“Our extensive network reach also enables international enterprises, ISPs and carriers to terminate their services in Lesotho. This, together with the introduction of reduced wholesale pricing, will open up further opportunities in the region,” Woods added.

Mpine Tente, general manager of Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL) – the first operator in Lesotho to benefit from the WIOCC capacity - said the extra bandwidth made available by WIOCC has enabled the company to make “huge” reductions in internet access costs.

“Public and private businesses will benefit from reduced prices. All Basotho will benefit from cheaper access to the internet,” said Tente.