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Gauteng bumps up broadband budget

Simnikiwe Mzekandaba
By Simnikiwe Mzekandaba, IT in government editor
Johannesburg, 09 Mar 2016
Finance MEC Barbara Creecy allocated R75 million more in the 2016/2017 budget for the Gauteng Broadband Network.
Finance MEC Barbara Creecy allocated R75 million more in the 2016/2017 budget for the Gauteng Broadband Network.

Finance MEC Barbara Creecy has increased the budget for the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN), to reach R325 million for 2016/2017.

The broadband network project, which began in 2014, forms part of the five-year Gauteng city region-wide e-government strategy, aimed at improving linkages and integration among city region governments and their departments.

The GBN is set to connect all provincial government buildings, including regional satellite offices, all Thusong centres (multi-purpose community centres), hospitals and schools. The network 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".

In 2015, Gauteng's finance department budgeted R250 million for the broadband infrastructure project. Overall, the project is expected to cost about R1.2 billion.

Delivering her 2016/2017 budget speech for Gauteng yesterday, Creecy allocated R75 million more than last year's budget to the GBN project.

According to Creecy, the R325 million will go towards the "roll out of broadband with an aim of connecting 300 sites in 2016/17 and maintenance of the broadband network".

In addition, the Gauteng Education Department received a total of R3 billion, part of which will be used to upgrade 26 existing schools to align to ICT requirements and the rehabilitation of 123 existing schools.

Creecy explained: "To strengthen the internal capacity for project and programme management in order to provide technical support in the implementation of the infrastructure programme, we are allocating an amount of R36.4 million in the Department of Education."

The provincial government has also prioritised the Department of Health so that it can provide improved healthcare services to citizens. In the budget speech, Creecy allocated a total of R1.9 billion to health, which includes R213 million to enable the department to continue funding ICT infrastructure, including electronic filing of patient records.

Broadband for all

Creecy noted this year's provincial budget increased by more than R6 billion. The total of the Gauteng budget increased from R97 billion for 2015/2016 to R103 billion for the 2016/17 financial year, according to Creecy.

The Gauteng provincial government is committed to delivering ICT services and broadband access to citizens as well as government facilities.

Gauteng premier David Makhura has said SA's economic hub will reach full broadband connectivity in three years.
Gauteng premier David Makhura has said SA's economic hub will reach full broadband connectivity in three years.

In his State of the Province Address, Gauteng premier David Makhura said the country's economic hub will reach full broadband connectivity in three years.

According to Makhura, the Gauteng province will reach 100% broadband connectivity by 2019, ahead of national government's broadband plans.

In terms of the national broadband policy, the South African government aims to deliver widespread broadband access to 90% of the country's population by 2020, and 100% by 2030.

Gauteng, which is home to three metros, has seen free WiFi hotspots being rolled out across the province.

The City of Tshwane has connected 700 free WiFi hotspots, Johannesburg 408 free WiFi hotspots, and Ekurhuleni 408 free WiFi hotspots, according to Makhura.

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