Mascom is the mobile market leader in Botswana with close to 1.6 million customers across the board. Following its innovation drive Mascom was the first operator to deploy a 3G network in Botswana (2008) and it is one of the first operators of the SADC region to deploy a 4G/LTE pilot. Mascom was licensed on February 17th 1998 as one of the companies assigned to establish, maintain and operate a GSM mobile network in Botswana. The Mascom network was launched five weeks after licensing, establishing a reputation of credibility and innovation to date.