In a development that signals the state-owned company's decisive role in influencing the country's broadband project trajectory, Broadband Infraco has been appointed as interim chair to drive the implementation of Strategic Infrastructure Project No 15 (SIP 15). This SIP's mandate is “expanding access to communication technology” and its lead department is the Department of Communications, in collaboration with the Department of Public Enterprises and the Department of Science and Technology.
Broadband Infraco Chief Executive Puleng Kwele explains: “SIP 15 aims to provide 100% broadband coverage to all households by 2020, by establishing core points-of-presence (POPs) in district municipalities. It seeks to extend fibre-optic networks across provinces linking districts, establish POPs and fibre connectivity at local level, and penetrate the network into rural areas.” This SIP will be implemented in co-ordination with a number of SIPs, especially those focused on rolling out transmission lines and roads to include broadband capacity. It is that implementation that Broadband Infraco will co-ordinate, champion and drive.
The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) developed 18 SIPs with a 20-year infrastructure project pipeline, integrating more than 150 individual infrastructure plans into a coherent package.
SIPs cover:
* Social and economic infrastructure - covering all nine provinces (with an emphasis on lagging regions).
* Catalytic projects that can fast-track development and growth. Work is being aligned with key cross-cutting areas: job creation, human settlement planning, skills development and localisation.
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