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SA needs to 'move with speed' on broadband

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 24 Apr 2014
The Department of Communications has been engaging with government entities on its broadband policy, says minister Yunus Carrim.
The Department of Communications has been engaging with government entities on its broadband policy, says minister Yunus Carrim.

The Department of Communications (DOC) has been working with government and state-owned enterprises to finalise an implementation plan for SA Connect, the country's broadband policy and strategy, which was adopted by Cabinet last December.

In a statement, the department says since the adoption of the plan, it has connected 788 schools to fast Internet through cyber-labs, launched the iKamva National e-Skills Institute and the National Broadband Advisory Council (NBAC).

The NBAC comprises local and international technical experts, and representatives of business, trade unions and civil society to advise minister Yunus Carrim on the implementation of SA Connect.

In addition, the DOC has been consulting within government and the state-owned companies on finalising an implementation plan. A meeting of Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) 15, which focuses on 'Expanding Access to Communication Technology' and includes representatives of all three spheres of government and the state-owned companies to take the plan further, was held today.

"We need to move with speed on broadband, but we also have to be sensible and effective. There is considerable unevenness in the delivery of broadband across the country and while we must encourage local initiatives, we need to synergise our efforts under SA Connect to ensure maximum benefits from broadband for the country as a whole," says Carrim.

"We have been engaging with the provinces, municipalities, the South African Local Government Association and the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department about this. This synergy, understandably, will take time, but is certainly beginning to happen. Today's strategic integrated project 15 meeting is a further step in that direction," adds Carrim.

The broadband implementation plan is structured around the four prongs of the digital strategy in the policy: digital readiness, digital development, digital future and digital opportunity, says the department.

The broadband steering committee and five task teams consisting of different government stakeholders aim to "expedite" wrapping up the implementation plan. Other stakeholders will also be consulted on the implementation plan.

"We have made significant progress since December on broadband, but we still have a long way to go. We need public-private and other partnerships, and with the cooperation of all the stakeholders we'll get there. We have to," adds Carrim.

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