From The Mercury - 14/02/2007, By Colleen Dardagan
The 2010 soccer World Cup has added "vooma" to the city of Durban's vision to make internet access available on a large scale and at a cheaper rate, putting local business in a good position to increase profit margins ahead of the event.
A well-established, broad fibre-optic infrastructure that reaches as far as Verulam in the north, Waterfall in the east and Illovo in the south - a visionary project that was initiated some years ago by the municipality - strongly positions the city for business opportunities arising out of 2010.
Jacqui Subban, Head of Geographic Information and Policy at the eThekwini Municipality, said Durban's telecommunications capability was ahead of any other city in the country because of the extensive fibre-optic infrastructure that already existed in the municipality.
"Our plan to make low-cost information technology (IT) devices, affordable phone calls and internet connectivity available for all Durbanites, including business, will be a reality within the next six months. This means not only the cost of doing business will decrease for established companies, but smaller enterprises will be able to afford communication tools, which, to date, have been beyond their means."
Opportunities
Subban, who addressed the KwaZulu-Natal Chapter of the Computer Society of South Africa last week, said the communication infrastructure for the new stadium and proposed international broadcasting centre would fall under the direct jurisdiction of Fifa and its local communications provider, Telkom. However, she believed the city's drive to make multi-media communication available to every citizen would open up a host of opportunities.
"Fifa has laid down a communications blueprint that is the same for every stadium throughout the country. It brings in about 1 200 technical staff from overseas, who will arrive in Durban six months before kickoff.
"They isolate the venue, install the hardware and then remove it once the event is over. Every aspect of the communications network for the event is managed by them."
Answering concerns about opportunities for local businesses to benefit from the event, Subban said it was important that everyone realised the opportunities that existed within the city itself and in spin-off industries such as tourism, the hospitality industry and security.
"We can forget about getting work from Fifa - that's not going to happen. However, the city has an extensive IT plan, which we are busy streamlining. For example, the volunteers and security personnel are going to need two-way radios. We are going to install more CCTV cameras.
"We might decide to put tourist kiosks all around the city. Someone will need to supply, manufacture and install these items. Local business can benefit from these initiatives," she said.
Navin Radhalal, Business Development Strategist at Business Connexion, said he believed the business opportunities for information technology companies over the next three years and beyond 2010 were limitless.
"Tourism, local business, the hospitality industry, security, transport - I could go on and on listing the different areas of business where multi-media connectivity is going to be a necessity," he said.
Radhalal said entrepreneurs needed to think creatively.
"How are international visitors to the World Cup going to know about Durban? Obviously, through web technology and what the city is doing is creating a secure central portal to give access to local business through the worldwide web.
"Obviously, if anyone wants to benefit, they are going to have to be IT-enabled."
Praising the city for its foresight, Radhalal said Durban was strategically positioned for up to 10 years of fibre reach, which was more than adequate.
"People from overseas are more accustomed to using technology to get information than we are and we need to gear up for that. For example, the city's central website should be able to tell visitors on a daily basis what roads they can use, where they can stay, where soccer teams are being accommodated, the easiest routes to the stadiums and fan fest sites. What is the quickest way to get to their hotels and what transport is the cheapest and most convenient. It's a case of all the information about KwaZulu-Natal being available at everyone's fingertips," he said.
Subban said her department had composed an R800 million wish-list to co-ordinate and convene information communications technology (ICT) requirements ahead of the 2010 event, which was submitted to the National Treasury.
"We don't know if we are going to get any money, as the government has told us it is concentrating on financing the stadiums at the moment. I am sure more light will be shed regarding 2010 expenditure in Trevor Manuel's Budget speech later this month."
With the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup only 36 months away, Subban said the city's ICT infrastructure was ready and all that remained was to decide how to pay for value-added projects, which would make the event more successful.
"If National Treasury comes back saying there will be no further funding available,we are going to have look elsewhere to ensure we deliver an internationally classed event; ICT is critical to that.
"However, there is no doubt we are in a better position than any of the other cities. We have gone a long way already in creating an environment that is ICT-ready."
The 2010 soccer World Cup has added "vooma" to the city of Durban's vision to make internet access available on a large scale and at a cheaper rate, putting local business in a good position to increase profit margins ahead of the event.
A well-established, broad fibre-optic infrastructure that reaches as far as Verulam in the north, Waterfall in the east and Illovo in the south - a visionary project that was initiated some years ago by the municipality - strongly positions the city for business opportunities arising out of 2010.
Jacqui Subban, Head of Geographic Information and Policy at the eThekwini Municipality, said Durban's telecommunications capability was ahead of any other city in the country because of the extensive fibre-optic infrastructure that already existed in the municipality.
"Our plan to make low-cost information technology (IT) devices, affordable phone calls and internet connectivity available for all Durbanites, including business, will be a reality within the next six months. This means not only the cost of doing business will decrease for established companies, but smaller enterprises will be able to afford communication tools, which, to date, have been beyond their means."
Opportunities
Subban, who addressed the KwaZulu-Natal Chapter of the Computer Society of South Africa last week, said the communication infrastructure for the new stadium and proposed international broadcasting centre would fall under the direct jurisdiction of Fifa and its local communications provider, Telkom. However, she believed the city's drive to make multi-media communication available to every citizen would open up a host of opportunities.
"Fifa has laid down a communications blueprint that is the same for every stadium throughout the country. It brings in about 1 200 technical staff from overseas, who will arrive in Durban six months before kickoff.
"They isolate the venue, install the hardware and then remove it once the event is over. Every aspect of the communications network for the event is managed by them."
Answering concerns about opportunities for local businesses to benefit from the event, Subban said it was important that everyone realised the opportunities that existed within the city itself and in spin-off industries such as tourism, the hospitality industry and security.
"We can forget about getting work from Fifa - that's not going to happen. However, the city has an extensive IT plan, which we are busy streamlining. For example, the volunteers and security personnel are going to need two-way radios. We are going to install more CCTV cameras.
"We might decide to put tourist kiosks all around the city. Someone will need to supply, manufacture and install these items. Local business can benefit from these initiatives," she said.
Navin Radhalal, Business Development Strategist at Business Connexion, said he believed the business opportunities for information technology companies over the next three years and beyond 2010 were limitless.
"Tourism, local business, the hospitality industry, security, transport - I could go on and on listing the different areas of business where multi-media connectivity is going to be a necessity," he said.
Radhalal said entrepreneurs needed to think creatively.
"How are international visitors to the World Cup going to know about Durban? Obviously, through web technology and what the city is doing is creating a secure central portal to give access to local business through the worldwide web.
"Obviously, if anyone wants to benefit, they are going to have to be IT-enabled."
Praising the city for its foresight, Radhalal said Durban was strategically positioned for up to 10 years of fibre reach, which was more than adequate.
"People from overseas are more accustomed to using technology to get information than we are and we need to gear up for that. For example, the city's central website should be able to tell visitors on a daily basis what roads they can use, where they can stay, where soccer teams are being accommodated, the easiest routes to the stadiums and fan fest sites. What is the quickest way to get to their hotels and what transport is the cheapest and most convenient. It's a case of all the information about KwaZulu-Natal being available at everyone's fingertips," he said.
Subban said her department had composed an R800 million wish-list to co-ordinate and convene information communications technology (ICT) requirements ahead of the 2010 event, which was submitted to the National Treasury.
"We don't know if we are going to get any money, as the government has told us it is concentrating on financing the stadiums at the moment. I am sure more light will be shed regarding 2010 expenditure in Trevor Manuel's Budget speech later this month."
With the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup only 36 months away, Subban said the city's ICT infrastructure was ready and all that remained was to decide how to pay for value-added projects, which would make the event more successful.
"If National Treasury comes back saying there will be no further funding available,we are going to have look elsewhere to ensure we deliver an internationally classed event; ICT is critical to that.
"However, there is no doubt we are in a better position than any of the other cities. We have gone a long way already in creating an environment that is ICT-ready."
