The Western Cape government launched a free WiFi pilot project this week, giving Internet access to people from Atlantis, Robertson, Delft and the Garden Route.
According to a government statement, more than 90 000 residents will be able to access wireless Internet during the pilot phase.
Alan Winde, the province's minister of finance, economic development and tourism, launched the project at the Hague Primary School, in Delft, saying non-profit organisations (NPOs) were considered to set up free WiFi zones in specific areas.
"The aim of this project is to see what models work best, so we can replicate this across the Western Cape. Eventually, every resident must have access to free or affordable Internet," says Winde.
Education outcomes remain a key priority in WiFi access initiatives, according to Winde.
"The progress here at the Hague Primary School has demonstrated the power of connectivity. With a focus on maths, school teachers are working with a developer to create content for applications," he says.
More schools are expected to be connected as part of the pilot project, and the Western Cape government hopes to see improved technology adoption.
Spreading the load
Three NPOs have been allocated funds to set up WiFi zones in specified areas during the pilot phase.
Home of Compassion Ministries is tasked with connecting 22 schools in Delft, and the Western Cape government says up to 43 000 people could be reached as the schools become central connection points.
Project Isizwe - which is involved in the City of Tshwane's free WiFi project - will ensure people in Atlantis and Robertson are connected and those areas will go live in July.
The City of Tshwane's free WiFi project was announced in August and initially rolled out on higher education campuses and Church Square, in the Pretoria CBD.
The Western Cape government also chose Digital Village Communication to provide access to 20 000 people along the Garden Route. "Their plan focuses on areas where large numbers of residents gather, including local taxi ranks," says a government statement.
Winde says all selected NPOs included training programmes for residents in their proposals in order to improve awareness among community members.
According to Winde, the government will work to ensure people know about the service "so that it becomes an asset for communities and we start to see the real benefits of connectivity in terms of growth and job creation".
Tech specs
Alan Knott-Craig Jr, head of the Isizwe Project, says the NPO "has been awarded contracts to cover approximately 80 000 square metres" for people in Robertson and Atlantis.
"We will probably use between 15 and 20 base stations, depending on topography, in the lower income communities."
According to Knott-Craig Jnr, connectivity will be provided over public access WiFi spectrum of either 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz.
Share