The government will be rolling out a broadband project worth R6-billion to expand its mission of providing Wi-Fi to South Africans across the country.
This week Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele announced that the government, through the State Information Technology Agency (Sita), planned to install 9 900 Wi-Fi hotspots in 16 districts countrywide.
“We aim to reach 80% connectivity by 2024. To fund this project, we have allocated R1.3-billion. Complementing the SA Connect programme, Sita will launch a National Broadband Project worth at least R6-billion, that will be awarded per region and ensure that the government reduces the cost and duplication of connectivity infrastructure from municipalities up to national government level.
“This project must also ensure that designated groups such as enterprises owned by women and youth are empowered with at least 40% value of this project, whilst creating opportunities for innovative locally developed solutions to find traction in our market,” said Gungubele. He said that it was important to note that while big business played a significant role in driving growth and innovation, it was vital that the government should not overlook the potential of small start-up businesses to be game changers in innovation.
“I would like to add that we have witnessed significant investments in data centres and cloud services providers, which will contribute significantly to the economy by enabling efficient storage and dissemination of data, as well as access to digital solutions.
“The country has a total of 65 data centres, making us the leading African digital economy. As a department, we are committed to maximising the benefits of this investment by ensuring policy certainty through launching the National Cloud and Data Policy later this year. The policy will outline guidelines for government departments to consume cloud services appropriately while adhering to data privacy and security measures agreed upon with relevant providers.
“This will help the government to make informed decisions and choose the best cloud services in line with our requirements and standards,” he said. Gungubele said the country had the advantage of being connected to eight undersea cables that connect Africa to neighbouring continents.
“We want to acknowledge the landing of the 2Africa submarine cable by Vodacom in the Eastern Cape earlier this year. We also want to highlight the Equiano cable by Google, working with Telkom, which will provide exponential capacity to the digital ecosystem.
“Our aim is to enhance connectivity to government facilities such as schools, health facilities, and government offices with high-speed internet access, which enable them to serve as connectivity hubs for their users and surrounding communities.”
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