The City of Cape Town has joined forces with Cell C to rollout more public WiFi locations across the city.
The city has already rolled out more than 890km of fibre-optic cables and connected over 300 city-owned buildings with WiFi that is accessible to residents, according to a statement.
In the statement, executive mayor, Patricia de Lille, says she authorised the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the mobile operator.
De Lille highlights this is in line with the city's goal to promote digital inclusion as part of its strategy to be the digital capital of Africa and to bridge the digital divide.
"The provision of WiFi is a key part of our integration strategies where we are connecting more people to services and opportunities. We firmly believe there is a positive correlation between the availability of Internet access and the social and economic upliftment of communities.
"Internet access and digital literacy are widely recognised as enablers of economic participation and improved educational outcomes."
The MOU proposes to give Cell C access to city street pole infrastructure, council-owned buildings and public spaces to assess what is possible and what could be done using the existing city infrastructure.
The mobile operator's proposal includes the possibility of installing WiFi access points on street light poles, city buildings, bus stops, terminals and public transport hubs.
"Cell C is always looking at ways to bring access to as many South Africans as we can. We know this project will assist us in our mission to connect those who have not been able to access WiFi before," says Cell C CEO Jose Dos Santos.
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