Padayachie unlocks dialogue

By including the ICT Vision 2020 in his maiden budget vote, as one of the important deliverables of the Department of Communications (DOC) in 2011, minister Roy Padayachie opened a new era of cooperation and dialogue between government, industry and civil society.

This is the general agreement among industry players following this week's budget vote.

Loren Braithwaite Kabosha, executive director of the South African Communications Forum (SACF), says ICT Vision 2020 will establish clear targets and goals for bridging the widening digital divide in SA and create sustainable jobs through the development of the ICT industry.

The development of the ICT industry should be recognised as a priority for the nation,” she says.

In his speech, Padayachie indicated that current research shows that under conditions characterised by high cost of services, saturation in urban markets and limited access in rural areas, the rate of expansion of the Internet in SA will decline from above 15% to 10% per annum by 2015.

“To address this deficit, we will work with key stakeholders, which include organised labour, civil society and academia, towards the development of a shared Vision 2020, for the country.

“To consolidate partnerships within the sector, we established an industry working group comprising representatives from the top 30 ICT companies operating in SA tasked with strengthening partnerships between government and its social partners,” the minister said.

His deputy, Obed Bapela, added: “Our theme for the 2011 budget vote 'taking technology to the people in service of the people' is more relevant.”

According to the SACF, ICT Vision 2020 is the development of a unified vision and strategy towards clearly defined goals and targets for the development of the industry to be achieved by 2020, including providing broader and more affordable access to ICT such as broadband.

“From the speech itself, it's certain that the minister wants to open up dialogue. But we have been talking about this for the past 15 years; what we want are concrete solutions, not statements.”

He gave the example of the pledge by government that every major campus of every university will have broadband connectivity to the South African National Research Network by December.

“This is a good idea in terms of local connectivity; but is there enough funding for connecting these universities externally?” Schofield asks.

The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) of SA sings the same tune, saying: “A vision document is of necessity expressed in general terms and its success will be a function of the practical steps taken to implement ICT Vision 2020.”

However, ISPA also notes that establishing a common vision for an inclusive information society is an important step forward in establishing a basis for a closer relationship between stakeholders.

On the other hand, ISPA says the challenge now is more about affordability than access. “ISPA believes that bold steps to introduce greater competition into the market, particularly through the licensing of frequency for access services and the unbundling of the local loop, are the key to meeting the affordability challenge.”

The SACF says through a colloquium to be held later this year, the industry, government and civil society will agree the strategy and implementation plan for the most effective and efficient means to achieve targets.

“A process of monitoring and measurement will ensure the vision for SA, as a world-class leader in the ICT industry, is achieved by 2020.

“ICT Vision 2020 will be a roadmap for the ICT industry's long-term development and growth, and ultimately, that of SA as a leading country in the information era,” it says.

Lucky Masilela, chairperson of the SACF, emphasises that the process for development of ICT Vision 2020 needed to be as inclusive as possible.

“The industry is greatly encouraged by the extremely positive developments within the DOC and we look forward to strengthening the partnership between industry and government, as we agree a shared vision for the development of the industry,” says Masilela.

The SACF also supports Padayachie's intention to optimise the use of spectrum, including the conduct of a spectrum audit.

“As a national asset, spectrum must be efficiently utilised, including agreeing how the digital dividend will best be employed to enable universal services and access to ICT. SACF notes that minister Padayachie's speech was universally welcomed by all parties,” it says in a statement.

In unison, the ISPA says it welcomes the minister's renewed focus on broadband as a socio-economic enabler, as well as the announcements that ICASA's funding model will be reviewed and that the challenges faced by USAASA plus the barriers to use of the funds in the Universal Service and Access Fund will be addressed.

“We believe the speech indicates that the minister understands the obstacles which need to be overcome to maximise the potential of ICT in meeting national objectives and development goals.”