Botswana telecommunications industry owes its success to the intrepid decision and visionary leadership which found it paramount to liberalize the telco sector to create a uniform environment for all players, culminating in the conception of Botswana Fibre Networks Ltd (BoFiNet)..
BoFiNet
Plot 54352 West Avenue, Zambezi Towers - Floor 2, New CBD, Gaborone, Botswana
info@bofinet.co.bw
On the 24th of October 2020, we successfully launched an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platform named UPICtv. The launch event took place at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC) and officiated by His Excellency the President Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi.
UPICtv is a homegrown subscription-based streaming service that will host a bouquet of local and international titles and will have a particular focus on locally produced dramas, movies, comedies, and continuity programs. His Excellency The President of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi gave the keynote address and said, “tonight marks a significant milestone in our contemporary culture and telecommunications sector. We are here to witness the brand reveal and platform launch of UPICtv, a digital content platform whose purpose is to showcase the best that Botswana has to offer, with an emphasis on diverse, locally sourced, and produced content. The creation of cultural products goes beyond their economic benefits. This is an opportunity for us to pay homage to our traditions, document our realities, and invent new ways of honoring who we are as Batswana.”
In her address, the Board Chairperson of BoFiNet, Ms. Pelani Siwawa-Ndai spoke of the importance of including Botswana’s narratives on the global stage, by stating, “We are extremely proud of the work that the BoFiNet team and content producers have done on bringing UPICtv to fruition. Our stories, more so through the medium of film, have the potential to shape our imaginations, document our history, and define our nationhood. Film is a powerful medium, the moving image can inspire, educate, and emote. This platform is, created by Batswana for Batswana.”
As audiences become more discerning and demand for local content grows, BoFiNet’s introduction of UPICtv will supplement already-existing platforms in line with its organizational strategy. BoFiNet has partnered with local internet service providers (ISPs) in order to make the platform accessible and affordable to consumers. Users log into the platform and can subscribe to a one-week free trial.