The Gauteng Broadband Network is expected to save the province over R150 million per year once implemented.
This is according to MEC for finance Barbara Creecy, who positions the project as pivotal in bringing about a "connected government". The MEC this morning briefed media on departmental strategic planning processes, ahead of her budget vote in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature tomorrow.
"The Gauteng Department of Finance is mandated to bridge the digital divide amongst Gauteng's citizens. To this effect, the Gauteng Broadband Network has been identified as a key mechanism to bring about a connected government."
The success of the broadband project will largely centre around cost saving, said Creecy. "The Gauteng Broadband Network project is expected to yield savings of R162 million per annum, once it's fully rolled out to the provincial government."
The current total telecommunications spend for the Gauteng Provincial Government is R215.3 million.
Site connections
Gauteng's network, which will be handed over to the province in five years' time, will incorporate 1 600km of high-speed fibre-optics and will consist of an initial eight core locations, no greater than 80km from the next core location, which will be connected by a 10GB "protection ring".
Creecy says it will connect all provincial government buildings, including regional satellite offices, all Thusong centres (multi-purpose community centres), hospitals and schools.
The MEC has also vowed to have six core sites connected by the end of this financial year. These include the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital, 75 Fox Street (Gauteng Department of Finance), 82 Grayston Drive (Gauteng Funding Agency), the West Rand District offices in Randfontein, Teraco in Kempton Park and Telkom (for the government Data Centre).
These sites are distribution nodes from which it will be possible to start connecting other government buildings, said Creecy.
The tender for the Gauteng Broadband Network project, which had been on the cards for several years, was finally awarded this February, to Altech subsidiary Altech Alcom Matomo. The R1.2 billion deal will see the company implementing the project over five years.
Previously called G-Link and before that the Blue Umbrella project, the project has been on government's to-do list since 2008, but stalled over recent years. It ultimately aims to provide network coverage to 95% of Gauteng's population.
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