BTTB
21-06-2004, 08:53 PM
http://www.finance24.co.za/Finance/Companies/0,,1518-24_1545958,00.html
Cape Town - Telkom is to introduce a special "e-rate" for schools that will effectively halve the cost of their internet calls, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri announced on Monday.
Opening debate on her budget vote in the National Assembly, she said arrangements for this would be finalised between the communications and education departments over the next few months.
"From the beginning of the next school year, public schools will be charged only 50% of the normal rate for their internet calls.
She said this was being done to "facilitate the adoption and usage of the internet" in the country's schools, which would be able to access needed educational material.
Further, communications, together with the National Treasury, would "finalise a public-private partnership for the funding of regional television services that will broadcast in the official languages that do not find sufficient coverage in the present broadcasting system".
Matsepe-Casaburri said her department, together with parliament, the community radio sector and the Government Communications and Information Service (GCIS), would launch a satellite communication network, aimed at communities.
"This network will make it possible for grass roots communities, through their community stations, to access the workings of parliament, government information and services, as well as news about other communities and general national developments."
She said over the next three years the Post Office would install an extra 600 public internet terminals, to enable ordinary people "to enjoy the convenience of also using the internet for accessing government services and information".
Edited by Mahap Msiza
<b><hr noshade size="1"></b><font size="2"><font color="red"><b>You can take Telkom out of the Post Office but you can't take the Post Office out of Telkom.</b></font id="red"></font id="size2">
Cape Town - Telkom is to introduce a special "e-rate" for schools that will effectively halve the cost of their internet calls, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri announced on Monday.
Opening debate on her budget vote in the National Assembly, she said arrangements for this would be finalised between the communications and education departments over the next few months.
"From the beginning of the next school year, public schools will be charged only 50% of the normal rate for their internet calls.
She said this was being done to "facilitate the adoption and usage of the internet" in the country's schools, which would be able to access needed educational material.
Further, communications, together with the National Treasury, would "finalise a public-private partnership for the funding of regional television services that will broadcast in the official languages that do not find sufficient coverage in the present broadcasting system".
Matsepe-Casaburri said her department, together with parliament, the community radio sector and the Government Communications and Information Service (GCIS), would launch a satellite communication network, aimed at communities.
"This network will make it possible for grass roots communities, through their community stations, to access the workings of parliament, government information and services, as well as news about other communities and general national developments."
She said over the next three years the Post Office would install an extra 600 public internet terminals, to enable ordinary people "to enjoy the convenience of also using the internet for accessing government services and information".
Edited by Mahap Msiza
<b><hr noshade size="1"></b><font size="2"><font color="red"><b>You can take Telkom out of the Post Office but you can't take the Post Office out of Telkom.</b></font id="red"></font id="size2">