Work on demonstration networks for the Joburg Broadband Network Project (JBNP) will begin at the beginning of next month, after 25 companies responded to a request for information for the project.
While the City of Johannesburg has imposed an aggressive timeline for the project, Douglas Cohen, project consultant for ICT sector support at the Department of Economic Development, says the city will tread carefully with the development of the JBNP.
This is to avoid a "Cape Town situation", where the city is embroiled in a legal battle over its wireless broadband network project, stemming from technicalities in awarding the project to a consortium.
Cohen says the 25 respondents will be whittled down to a shortlist of five or six, who will then be invited to build demonstration networks, starting at the beginning of next month. It is envisaged the network will be set up and operational by the beginning of next year, he adds.
The JBNP forms part of Johannesburg's strategy to move to a "smart city" concept, running off a mix of telecommunications technologies. The city, says Cohen, owns infrastructure to provide a telecoms platform, as well as a private telecoms network licence. It is this infrastructure that it plans to bring to the table for a private sector partner to develop solutions around.
Cohen explains the city is considering setting up a special purpose vehicle to facilitate ownership of the network. This would aim to bring down telecoms costs and improve service delivery in diverse areas, ranging from traffic control to library services.
The project value has not been finalised and more clarity will likely emerge once the shortlisted companies have deployed their demonstration networks.
Window of opportunity
The city is looking at investing R100 million to fund the project, in exchange for R400 million from a partner. More clarity on the figures will be available once the demonstration networks have been deployed and the city is able to decide which mix of technology it will seek to use, Cohen explains.
"We are happy with the responses we've received," he says, adding the city will consider the viability of the various proposed networks, the right partner and the right spending vehicle before the project kicks off.
By the middle of the year, he says, the City of Johannesburg will also know whether the project is viable. "If it's not, then we will have to consider other strategies, such as laying our own infrastructure [for a complete broadband network]."
While Cohen does not consider the project's timeframe to be overly aggressive, he says the project "needs to happen soon".
"The window of opportunity is now open for municipal broadband project, but we don't know for how long."
The City of Johannesburg previously said it would not be prescriptive about what technology is used for the project, as long as it delivers true broadband.
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