The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has received complaints from 30 schools bemoaning the fact that they have not yet received the 50% connectivity discount that should have come into effect from 18 January. It is bracing itself for thousands more complaints.
A non-governmental organisation, E-Schools` Network, has organised a campaign to bring to the regulator`s attention that schools are not receiving the 50% discount they are entitled to as stated in communications minister Ivy Matseppe-Casaburri`s liberalisation announcement last year.
It is estimated that there are about 28 000 schools countrywide that could be eligible for the discount, also known as the e-rate.
In order to participate in the petition, a school has to supply its EMIS (Education Management Information System) number, which is its unique identifier, and that counts as one complaint.
E-Schools` Network director Jenny King says following her discussions with the Department of Communications, the Internet Service Providers` Association and ICASA, her organisation has decided to encourage schools to start complaining in order to obtain the discount.
"We are trying to find a way to cut through the red tape that has surrounded the situation. Telkom flatly refuses to allow a discount for dial-up connectivity and will not backdate the discounts to the effective date," she says.
The discount is only for government-owned schools, and does not apply to the many farm and church schools that cater for a large number of rural learners, King says.
"Telkom says it has put in place a procedure, but no one knows of it. Many schools who contact Telkom are referred to the Telkom Foundation, which does not know anything about the discount," King says.
ICASA councillor Zolisa Masiza says he has received the first 30 complaints and a list of 8 000 schools from the Department of Education that have some kind of Internet connectivity, but are not receiving the e-rate.
"We will have a meeting with the departments of communications and education next week and then follow that up with a meeting between Telkom and Sentech," he says.
Schools wishing to join the petition can e-mail a letter containing their EMIS number to telkom-petition@esn.org.za.
Related story:
Schools not getting their half-price Internet
Share