National Broadband Colloquium 18, 19 November

According to an advert published in the Sunday Times on 8 November 2009, the Department of Communications is hosting a National Broadband Colloquium to afford the public an opportunity to provide input on the Draft Broadband Policy for South Africa.

Date: 18 to 19 November 2009

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre

Time: 08:00-16:00

Those wishing to attend can register at http://www.doc.gov.za/forum/.

Thanks Dominic...interesting thread tags

pop.con said:

Broadband Policy?

What would that generally entail Dominic? Please excuse my ignorance.

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basically that affordable and universal access to broadband is a social & economic good (there is a 2009 World Bank study indicating that an increase in broadband penetration of 10% equates to a 1.38% increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in developing countries) and as such is a national objective

recognising this, how does the SA government propose to ensure that happens by facilitating and co-ordinating different initiatives? what is the role of the State in all of this (think Sentech, Infraco, TELKOM)? what is the role of the private sector and how can they be incentivised to provide infrastructure and services in marginal areas?

now, depending on your political perspective, you will have different answers to these questions, and this is really what a broadband policy document should be about - how do we as SA ensure that there is a fertile environment that will see us moving towards affordable, universal service

http://www.ellipsis.co.za/draft-national-broadband-policy/ for the SA draft policy and a 1.5 page overview if you want to know more

is there gonna be a free lunch?

That way we know some good will actually come from this.

there will indeed - dietary preference requested on registration

i am just another passenger on the gravy train ...

Interesting tags.

Thanks for the info.

dominic said:

According to an advert published in the Sunday Times on 8 November 2009, the Department of Communications is hosting a National Broadband Colloquium to afford the public an opportunity to provide input on the Draft Broadband Policy for South Africa.

Date: 18 to 19 November 2009

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre

Time: 08:00-16:00

Those wishing to attend can register at http://www.doc.gov.za/forum/.

Click to expand...

Thanks, only the last one made our broadband experience go from BAD to worse, thanks to TELKOM and we were all conned at the time in believing it would make a difference for the better.

the agenda for this is now available - http://www.ellipsis.co.za/doc-to-host-national-broadband-policy-colloquium-18-19-november-2009/