In today’s digital landscape, sustainable WiFi hotspots are pivotal in connecting schools and addressing the urban-rural connectivity gap across South Africa. While hardware, coverage and bandwidth are crucial, integrating effective software for WiFi hotspot management is equally essential for providing affordable and sustainable internet access.
Bridging the digital divide in South Africa
South Africa’s digital population has grown significantly, with 45.34 million active internet users as of January 2024, up from approximately 25 million in 2013. Despite this progress, the digital divide persists, particularly affecting educators and learners in low-income and rural communities. The high costs and inconsistent availability of internet access often leave these groups behind in South Africa’s digital economy.
Currently, South Africans pay up to R90 ($5.14) per gigabyte (GB) of data, equating to over three hours of work for those earning the minimum wage (R27.58 per hour). Consequently, many must add internet access and digital devices to the priority list. This reality creates barriers to achieving “always-on” connectivity, essential for education and other opportunities.
Advancing education through free WiFi
Many companies now offer pay-as-you-go WiFi vouchers for R5 per day, significantly cheaper than mobile network data. These initiatives aim to bring fast, uncapped fibre-backed internet to township residents and those in low-income areas. Businesses are learning to balance profitability while providing value to millions previously disconnected from the internet.
However, R5 per day can still be prohibitive for many. Thus, the efforts of non-profit organisations are vital, as they provide sustainable WiFi for schools and community members through sponsorships and partnerships.
Project Isizwe is one such initiative, aiming to deliver equitable, uncapped internet across South African classrooms. Project Isizwe has connected 115 schools to uncapped WiFi, enabling meaningful connectivity for teaching and learning. In the past year, Project Isizwe has connected more than 500 000 South Africans from 60 underserved communities, including Lamontville, Mpophomeni and Embalenhle. Project Isizwe has partnered with Friends of Alexandra to transform learning in 14 schools.
Thousands of learners and educators benefit from free, uncapped internet access at school-based hotspots. In addition to supporting educators and learners, the project enables more comprehensive community access to affordable internet at the R5 per day per device price point. Other initiatives ensure educators can extend their teaching and learning activities beyond physical classrooms.
Powerlynx: A scalable solution for educational infrastructure
Managing such infrastructure requires easily scalable software that can be seamlessly updated to accommodate numerous simultaneous users. Project Isizwe utilises Powerlynx, a leading billing and network management software solution for ISPs, for its custom-built functionality and scalability, ensuring optimal operation of educational WiFi hotspots.
WiFi hotspots for education: Cloud solution for schools and universities | Powerlynx
Powerlynx offers significant benefits, including high scalability and flexibility in meeting client needs, as evidenced by the Project Isizwe case study. With Powerlynx, WiFi hotspots serving thousands of users across multiple locations can be efficiently managed from a centralised cloud dashboard, even with a multi-vendor infrastructure.
Feature-wise, Powerlynx provides customised splash pages for educators and learners, tailored internet plans for precise bandwidth control, voucher-based authentication and protection from inappropriate content through preferred web filtering services, all crucial for maintaining robust WiFi in educational institutions.
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