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SA Connect is alive


Johannesburg, 31 Jul 2015

There have been recent articles in the media that suggest SA Connect is dead. SA Connect is definitely alive, with the DTPS currently on course with the implementation of the first phase of SA Connect as part of what the department has to do in this big broadband push project.

This is as per the department's plans for this financial year; this work to implement SA Connect is backed by tangible actions that have been carried out by the department without fail. Since the approval of SA Connect, the department has worked on the first phase of the business case, which is premised on the aggregation of government demand and procurement to stimulate private investment in infrastructure.

A lot has happened thus far, across the different spheres of government and the private sector. The DTPS has worked with CSIR to conduct broadband infrastructure gap analysis and to determine the proximity of the targeted government facilities to fibre infrastructure.

This exercise has been complemented by the Minister of Telecommunications, who has crossed the length and breadth of South Africa visiting seven of the eight selected districts to see for himself the current infrastructure status of the facilities to be connected and what interventions are required to close the gap.

The recent visit was on 16 July 2015 in North West province, at Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality. The Minister visited the area to assess the status of broadband accessibility in all key service delivery points in this district. This included, among others, schools, health facilities, police stations, etc. The Minister will conclude his infrastructure assessment visits in the Northern Cape at Pixley Ka Seme District municipality over the coming weeks.

Initial site surveys of the first phase facilities have been completed to input to the broadband implementation plan. The surveys have assisted with determining the condition of the existing infrastructure and the prioritisation of sites in accordance with the readiness of facilities. The department has also developed draft technical specifications, taking into consideration the available infrastructure and technologies.

The DTPS has also completed the nominal planning for phase two of South Africa Connect, which aims to expand infrastructure to connect government facilities in the remaining 44 districts. The nominal plan has informed the phase two business case that has been submitted to the National Treasury. Phase two will incorporate existing provincial plans. Phase two was submitted to National and Provincial Treasury.

The department has been working with provinces regarding provincial broadband plans. These efforts are now bearing fruit, with two of the provinces now in the implementation phase, while the rest are in the planning phase. The department is currently monitoring progress in Gauteng and Western Cape to identify any gaps in the work that they are doing. Funding for broadband remains a critical issues that needs intervention from both the National and Provincial Treasury.

The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) is also working on a plan to increase bandwidth for government facilities across the country.

The DTPS is on course to connect South Africa with the cyber security hub that is being operationalised between the DTPS and CSIR, and the department is working on a national public awareness campaign on cyber security.

SA Connect is a broader policy of SA government; it would be wrong for anyone to think that this big national project will be wholly delivered by the DTPS or government alone. It's a huge project that needs a multi-stakeholder and sectoral approach.

Hence, when the DTPS says SA Connect is alive, it means it. In the recent developments, the DTPS has seen the City of Cape Town making an announcement in 2014 that the city will budget R1.3 billion as part of a broadband infrastructure project to be rolled out over a period of seven years. This project seeks to ensure total connectivity of the Cape Metro. The city has recently announced having budgeted for the period July 2015 to June 2016 an amount of R236 million for this SA Connect project. This is another way to show that SA Connect is alive and is not only to be delivered by the DTPS.

The Gauteng MEC of Education has announced that Gauteng township schools will receive thousands of unlimited mobile data from 5am to 9pm every day. This will be supported by the supply of tablets to learners. Another key effort to accelerate SA Connect.

Implementing the concept of creating smart cities, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has ensured broadband rollout in the capital city. The municipality is giving 500MB per device monthly and unlimited access to educational sites.

Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North West province has committed to set aside R10 million to create WiFi hotspots around the district. There are many countless initiatives where work is being done in many spheres of government, and there is more that is being done by the private sector. The department maintains SA Connect is alive and changing lives of ordinary South Africans.

The private sector is also investing in rolling out additional 3G and LTE radio sites to expand coverage and capacity. There are also a few initiatives which are aimed at expanding fibre rollout in big and small towns, and the provision of fibre to the home or business in some areas.

The department is working hard to finalise policy interventions that will effectively address constraints such rapid deployment, spectrum and affordability of broadband services. The department and government are satisfied with choosing Telkom on the basis of its extensive fibre network infrastructure and necessary expertise. Telkom's involvement will allow for better co-ordination of broadband efforts by the many state-owned companies and the private sector to eliminate unnecessary duplication of infrastructure.

The problem with commentators is that they don't seek information from the department, because it is less about noise and more about action.

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Editorial contacts

Thulani Ngubane
Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(076) 983 9840
tngubane@dtps.gov.za