Wireless technology is scarce throughout Africa, but on Tuesday residents of one African country got news that their wireless options are increasing, as the Botswana Telecom Corp. (BTC) announced it had selected a fixed wireless access system.
The system will allow the carrier to provide telecommunication services via fixed wireless technology, which will allow it to sign up more subscribers and provide more reliable service, the company said.
InnoWave ECI Wireless Systems Ltd. will provide the system; a subsidiary of ECI Telecom Ltd. BTC will use Innowave’s MultiGain Wireless (MGW) system. The service will be offered in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, and several remote cities, towns and villages throughout the country.
BTC chose the InnoWave system because it can be implemented quickly and because it is designed for urban, suburban and rural environments, InnoWave said.
Phase one of the US$13 million contract began in April 2001 and is to be completed by April 2002. The service will be offered over a 3.5GHz frequency band.
ECI Telecom Ltd. can be reached at
http://www.ecitele.com
.