Microsoft SA has partnered with Internet service provider Brightwave to bring WiFi and TV white spaces technology based on broadband access to more than 213 000 students at 609 primary and secondary schools in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
According to Microsoft SA, the Brightwave partnership aims to close the digital divide in the underprivileged community through the Microsoft Affordable Access Initiative (AAI) programme, which seeks to support, grow and scale innovative businesses, educational and healthcare institutions that have the potential to help more people affordably get online. Areas of interest include last mile access technologies, off-grid renewable energy solutions, and alternative payment mechanisms.
This strategic partnership will enable the schools to access cloud services and digital transformation solutions in health, education, public safety and national security. The Brightwave deployment is being co-funded by Microsoft and the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA).
"Far too many South Africans lack Internet connectivity along with the educational, commercial and economic benefits of cloud-based services," says Paul Garnett, senior director within Microsoft's Affordable Access Initiative team. "Through partnerships such as these, we will be able to empower entrepreneurs to provide connectivity to many more people and consequently, enable the creation of critical services for many more South Africans who need it most."
According to Microsoft, most of the world is not connected to the Internet. Underserved markets, rural areas and economically disadvantaged communities are least likely to have access to the Internet. With advances in the affordable access ecosystem, up to 3.9 billion more people will be empowered to engage in the digital economy.
Technology can transform the educational experience at an individual student, group or class level, but when the borders of affordability and access are expanded, the benefits obtained are magnified, as schools are empowered to deliver more entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators, adds Garnett.
The AAI programme seeks to also support, accelerate and scale innovative businesses developing technologies that enable local communities to utilise cloud-based services and business models that reduce the cost of Internet and energy access to help more people participate in the digital economy.
Brightwave is a certified black-owned enterprise that provides broadband Internet access in the underserved community of Soweto. The ISP has deployed and commercialised the largest WiFi network in a predominantly disadvantaged community in SA, through offering data bundles at a tenth of market prices by leveraging an ad-driven "freemium" model, it says.
"We are super-excited about our new partnership with Microsoft, as this enables Brightwave to offer an integrated services value proposition that will power e-learning, e-health, e-government and e-commerce in rural and underserved communities in SA," says Charles Mwaura CEO of Brightwave.
"This initiative will provide many entrepreneurs within underserved communities and rural areas with the tools they need to create businesses, address community problems and also help close the local skills gap, by enhancing the learning experience available to schools in these areas," says Lumko Mtimde, CEO of USAASA.
In June, Microsoft awarded seed grants of an undisclosed amount to six innovative African businesses through the AAI initiative, which also aims to create academic and economic opportunities for start-ups to deliver Internet and energy access to rural communities.
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