Somebody once made a remark that one day the government will be faced with protests due to unreliable free internet connectivity. In Tshwane, the city with the internet savvy youth and university students, unavailability of free internet connectivity has now become a service delivery concern.
Free Wi-Fi is filling that gap which the parents of students cannot afford. We are fully cognisant of the role played by the free Wi-Fi service in a city with arguably the largest number of schools, universities and numerous other tertiary education institutions.
In the modern economy it is of critical importance for people from all walks of life to be connected – especially in the poorest of the poor areas. Connectivity opens up a host of opportunities for people who may not necessarily have the means to travel far to look for work, and through initiatives such as TshWi-Fi (Tshwane Free Wi-Fi), we give people the much more convenient opportunity to look for work.
Furthermore, free connectivity also opens up opportunities for small businesses to thrive, as they do not have to rely on expensive data bundles or fixed line infrastructure to conduct their business. Not only does free Wi-Fi reduce their operating costs, but their businesses are not affected when fixed line infrastructure is damaged or stolen.
The City of Tshwane (CoT) is looking to the future and is deeply aware of the impact that the so-called fourth industrial revolution could have on residents. People are becoming more connected through the rapid spread of smart phone technology, and as the processing power of these units increase, people have access to increasing amounts of information.
Cities need to move along with these technological advances and use this increased technology to good effect, and CoT is eager to become a Smart City in its own right. That is why projects such as TshWi-Fi are so important to us.
As you might be aware, the previous city administration used grant funding for the roll-out of the project, which the Auditor General identified as unauthorised expenditure – which of course puts the initiative at risk. No money was misdirected anywhere in this case.
The award-winning, internationally acclaimed Wi-Fi project has used R245 million for all Wi-Fi hotspots, inclusive of deployment and all operational costs. This is the bill that the city cannot afford to foot.
However, the city cannot do away with this service that the majority of its residents need as it runs the risk of losing touch with people. As such the city is currently engaging with the private sector on mechanisms to reduce the costs of the service with a view to create a sustainable approach to delivering the Wi-Fi service to citizens and ultimately make it more affordable.
We are looking at alternative funding models and the city is investigating a number of options to commercialise TshWi-Fi in order for it to become self-sustainable, and then to fund further roll-out. Should such a model be successful, it will give the city the opportunity to increase our TshWi-Fi hotspots to around 2000 across the city; giving people much improved access. We are doing our utmost best to ensure that TshWi-Fi stays and continues to benefit our people.
Samkelelo Mgobozi is the Spokesperson of the Executive Mayor of The City of Tshwane. He writes in his official capacity and the views expressed are not necessarily those of Moretele Times.
