From 1 March 2013, Riebens Systems starts an initiative in Heidelberg in the Western Cape to provide Internet access to local residents free of charge.
The trial of the system shows that there is a definite need for more Internet access, and also those residents in smaller communities sometimes lack the financial resources to acquire these services.
This initiative involves a half-hour free access per person per day at the local Internet caf'e, and depending on the uptake, the initial five computers made available will be extended.
With the free Internet access, residents will be able to subscribe to and check e-mails, browse the Internet, read electronic documents, purchase or sell stuff on portals and communicate with Skype.
Students from the local schools also use the service to prepare for tasks when the school computer centres are out of order or not available.
To make sure that no single person monopolises the free access, the half-hour rule was introduced, whereafter access to the Internet continues on a paid basis.
The initiative is completely funded by Riebens Systems, which supplies the computers, software and Internet connections as well as staff to help residents.
One computer that was donated by Teregon (a local chemical company) is also used.
Even though software is used to enforce access control and illegal contents are also restricted, computers are checked daily and cleaned of any malware.
It is hoped that this initiative will offer the opportunity to residents to gather skills in computer usage to enable learning and connecting to the growing global electronic community.
In a related initiative, Riebens also supplies computer support services and Internet connectivity services (broadband) to most of the local schools at a much reduced rate, and in some instances, free of charge.
For any queries or comments on this initiative, the following persons at Riebens can be contacted:
Ria van Heerden ria@riebens.com tel :028 722 1170 or Ben Dell ben@riebens.com 028 722 2705.
Share