President Jacob Zuma has been nominated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to receive the World Telecommunication and Information Society Award.
Communications minister Roy Padayachie said at the celebration of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) that the president was nominated for placing ICT as tools to ensure rural development and bridge the digital divide.
The ITU declared 17 May as WTISD and the theme for this year was “Better life in rural communities with ICTs”.
Self measure
Padayachie said the Department of Communication (DOC) has a dedicated strategy on ICT rural development to help it guide and channel interventions and resources for the development of rural areas.
“We are indeed committed to work towards the establishment of a people-centred, inclusive information society, turning the digital divide into digital opportunity.”
He added that SA has produced a Country e-Readiness Report, which will soon be launched. It measures the country's progress in the diffusion of ICT for the building of an inclusive information society.
Rapid ICT
Padayachie also said the DOC embarked on a programme of rapid deployment of ICT throughout the country as part of the WTISD celebrations this year.
“This has seen us partner with the private sector, other government departments and state agencies to ensure we connect our rural communities to the information highway and improve access to technology which is crucial to SA's growth.”
Some of the projects launched as part of the celebrations were the cyber labs in Maphophoma School, in Nongoma, and in Mzingezwi Secondary School, in Ndwedwe, and the ICT Centre, in Mpendle.
Deputy communications minister Obed Bapela, together with the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA, also launched the Ulwazi ICT Community Centre, in New Crossroads, Cape Town, last week.
All of the ICT centres and cyber labs launched by the department are equipped with free open source and Microsoft applications, and have Internet connection.
Broadband focus
The DOC's final event was held on 13 May, in Msinga, where it switched on a broadcasting signal for transmission of television and radio, launched a broadband network project, and opened a cyber lab at the Msinga High School.
The newly installed low-power transmitters in Msinga will extend television and radio broadcast services to the community. The South African Broadcasting Corporation worked with state signal distributor Sentech and the Independent Communications Authority of SA to install transmitters at Keate's Drift, Tugela Ferry and Msinga Top.
“It is estimated that about 8% of our people do not have access to television and radio. In addition, Internet penetration remains low, at about 10%. We have committed ourselves to increase our broadband penetration from 2% to 15% by 2019,” said Padayachie.
The DOC has identified Tzaneen, in Limpopo, and Msinga, in KwaZulu-Natal, as pilot sites for broadband connectivity projects, as part of its commitment to bringing development and critical access to resources to communities in the rural areas.
The deployment of a high-speed communications infrastructure network in these areas is currently under way. The department has set aside a budget of R400 million to ensure these initiatives are fully realised by 2012.
“The benefits of broadband services have been proven in many countries around the globe and it is clear that the transformative power of access to information can be of significant benefit to the citizens of our country as whole,” it notes.
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