Inadequate access hinders site

By Candice Jones, ITWeb online telecoms editor

Johannesburg, 26 Sep 2007

Limited access to technology is preventing Soweto residents from contributing to a Web site focused on the Soweto uprisings.

Site designer Ismail Farouk says computer fear and broadband costs have combined to hinder his target audience's access to the site.

"There are several problems at the moment. Firstly, there is limited access to technology in Soweto. Simply put, Telkom does not provide ADSL end-points there. And when you consider how much broadband costs, it's just not a feasible option. Another barrier to reaching this goal is the high level of computer fear in the area."

Farouk says the site aims to include audience participation, but a lack of resources has prevented those involved in the uprisings from contributing to the site. "We have so many new technologies available, but the challenge now is to provide the Soweto residents with access to them."

Business collaboration

The first step in resolving these issues is to adapt the Soweto uprisings project, he said: "It is still early in the project, but really, my long-term view would be to make the site sustainable. This does mean its form will have to change."

Part of the sustainability will be to partner with other organisations and telecommunications providers, he says. "iBurst has done some interesting work in Soweto with the Internet caf'es. I hope they will be interested in supporting the site."

He adds that education will also be an important factor: "Using ICT as a skills driver, I hope to develop an education programme linked to the one being conducted by the Youth Forum, at the Hector Pieterson Museum."

Red brick road

The site, collaboratively developed by Farouk and Iranian Web developer Babak Fakhamzadeh, is a mash-up that integrates as much content about the Soweto uprisings, from as many sources as possible.

"The idea was to create a local space for real, on-the-ground contributions in order to provide a collaborative space for readers to contribute to the Soweto grand narrative. To do this, we integrated several Web elements, such as Flickr, Google Maps, Geo-names Web service, among others."

The Johannesburg Roads Agency is in the process of formalising the routes of the uprising, by laying them in red brick, says Farouk. "I would like to place a smart desk at several points along that route that will become both educational and a tourist attraction."

Each desk would contain a PC connected through broadband infrastructure to the site, providing access for both residents of and tourists to Soweto.

Help at hand

iBurst MD Alan Knott-Craig Junior says the company found no fear of technology in Soweto, only lack of technology. "The main hindrance to broadband adoption in Soweto is the low penetration of PCs and laptops," he adds.

iBurst, in partnership with Tradepage, built 100 Internet caf'es in the township earlier this year, as a pilot project for a larger broadband roll-out for 2010.

Knott-Craig Junior says the company would definitely consider supporting Farouk's project. The project recently won an SABC new media award in an individual category at the Highway Africa conference.