Sentech celebrates World Telecommunications Day

As a major player in the ICT arena, Sentech will host 60 technology students at the Sentech tower in Brixton to give them first hand experience of the country's major broadcast centre, in commemoration of World Telecommunications Day on 17 May 2006.

The tower is not open to the public so students from the Central Johannesburg College, the Computer Training Institution and the University of Johannesburg will enjoy privileged exposure to the backbone of Sentech's business while touring one of the city's best known landmarks and experience the seat of national signal transmission. The students will also receive lectures, adding value to their comprehensive day of learning.

An industry leader in the broadcast signal distribution arena, multimedia and international voice traffic carrier, Sentech provides business solutions to established corporates as well as SMEs and residential customers.

With current coverage (including radio) reaching 44 million South Africans, Sentech's premier focus is to change the aging analogue television broadcast platform to a completely digitised terrestrial television network by 2010.

This will facilitate more television channels, far greater picture clarity and overall better output quality. The digitised network will enable Sentech to provide e-services to viewers, for example, e-government, e-commerce and e-education.

Sentech has a mandate from the Department of Communication to deliver efficient and affordable telecommunications to bridge South Africa's digital divide. This is in alignment with the corporate vision to become a leader in world-class broadband communications.

"As part of our strategy we recognise the significance of telecommunications in socio-economic development and to this end have embarked on a number of projects. We believe in a hands-on approach that involves far more than financial support. We commit to our projects by providing our skills and resources to the communities to ensure outcomes that are measurable as well as sustainable," says Sebiletso Mokone-Matabane, CEO, Sentech.

As a driver of this powerful development tool, Sentech's corporate social investment programmes focuses on education, health, HIV/AIDS and technological initiatives which provide Internet connectivity and access to information to the underserviced and rural communities.

Embracing the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) the company's infrastructure and expertise position Sentech as a significant role player in linking the African continent to global ICT developments by providing affordable services to the continent.

"By providing access to technology we can help redress previous imbalances. Today and going forward, provides a challenge for South Africa to provide for the communication needs of underprivileged communities, by establishing a telecommunications developmental agenda at high profile events such as World Telecommunications Day," Mokone-Matabane adds.