South Africa promises 10GB free data to every household

Fifteen years ago we had this recurring office discussion that "internet connectivity and data" will become a utility bill item.

We compared it private toll roads from the past , private water supplies and many other things. We wondered how a government (pick a country) would manage it.

Was always a favourite beer Friday topic and we always agreed its inevitable.
 
The_Ogre said:
You live in a shack and utilise 10GB's data running 4k Netflix? If you can afford to stream in 4k, this isn't really targeted at you.

Do you also use 3kl of water by 12pm?

I'm not sure about you, but 10GB's data for a kid in a shack is more than sufficient for research for a month. MTN already zero rate-sites like Wikipedia through their IPC. If only the other networks could do the same. All educational and news sites would be an awesome start.

Just block anything with the word EFF or Cosatu in it. :thumbsup:
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The point I was making that isn't much data at all the grand scheme of things
 
Lupus said:
How is this magic going to materialise?
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It will be conjured into existence by the voodoo of extracting from taxpayer pocketses of course, commies don't create anything except poverty, let alone sustainable wealth.

Thing is, I believe this initiative is A Good Thing™, with many benefits.. just not in the hands of the awful ANC.
 
Yay! We have a beneficent government giving us more things for free, free, free! It's our right! The only question is why only 10GB? Surely there should be no limit on what we get for free?!

This will help put an end to those greedy businesses who charge us for stuff. People should work for free so we can get everything for free, free, free!
 
“Data has become a new utility like water and electricity that our home needs,” Nthsavheni said at the joint State of the Nation debate at the City Hall in Cape Town on Tuesday.

“At some point, South Africa will say… despite whether you are rich or poor, whether you are employed or unemployed, [every household] have access to 10GB per month without failure because that’s what this government will deliver.”
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Ah that's great, do households need to go to the local sangoma to collect the 10GB every month, or bring an extra plastic bucket for the 10GB when collecting water from a water tank(er)?

The majority of voters (especially in rural areas) would not know a "GB" if they tripped over it, let alone 10 of them.

Promising something intangible to dumb voters is quite clever as an election promise, just imagine the post-election riots if Ramaphosa had promised free KFC every month and failed to deliver on the promise.

3WA said:
I support this. It's 2022, people need to fap to video, not pictures.
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She did not specify how the 10GB would be delivered or at what speed/throughput. You're going to be limited to 1 pixel of video content per second and it will be your problem to assemble the pixels.
 
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Other Pineapple Smurf said:
Fifteen years ago we had this recurring office discussion that "internet connectivity and data" will become a utility bill item.

We compared it private toll roads from the past , private water supplies and many other things. We wondered how a government (pick a country) would manage it.

Was always a favourite beer Friday topic and we always agreed its inevitable.
Click to expand...

Its entirely inevitable but structurally the government is up shyte creek without a paddle in terms of guaranteeing that supply at the moment since it is in the hands of the private companies.

I personally think its a great idea to ensure everyone has a certain amount of data for internet access, but in this country it becomes a question of where does the "free" stop... Will the government now be forced to provide everyone with a device to make use of this data.

For me the government should be focusing on providing people access to the internet at places like libraries, and not trying to get everyone 10GB of data on their mobile phone, its a way more achievable and logical first step.
 
Jan said:
10GB free data for every South African household

Government will provide 10GB of free data to every South African household, similar to the allocation of basic municipal water and electricity services, communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has promised.

Indigent households qualify for 6,000 litres of water, 50kWh of electricity, and free sewerage and sanitation.
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I get 100KWh free. And I'm not indigent, broke but can't be defined indigent.
 
R13... said:
I get 100KWh free. And I'm not indigent, broke but can't be defined indigent.
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How do you get 100Kwh free? It might be the area you live in, as hell I've seen really destitute places not get this benefit.
 
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The_Ogre said:
You live in a shack and utilise 10GB's data running 4k Netflix? If you can afford to stream in 4k, this isn't really targeted at you.

Do you also use 3kl of water by 12pm?

I'm not sure about you, but 10GB's data for a kid in a shack is more than sufficient for research for a month. MTN already zero rate-sites like Wikipedia through their IPC. If only the other networks could do the same. All educational and news sites would be an awesome start.

Just block anything with the word EFF or Cosatu in it.
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TIL that tiktok = research
 
Lupus said:
How do you get 100Kwh free? It might be the area you live in, as hell I've seen really destitute places not get this benefit.
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Ekurhuleni. But the DA are in charge there now so likely going to lose than ANC benefit, lol. You get 100kwh if you don't use more than a certain amount per month. I think you need to stay within 700kwh.
 
xera said:
Didn't you read the T&C? You have to present your TV license.
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You might be on to something there.

ToxicBunny said:
Its entirely inevitable but structurally the government is up shyte creek without a paddle in terms of guaranteeing that supply at the moment since it is in the hands of the private companies.

I personally think its a great idea to ensure everyone has a certain amount of data for internet access, but in this country it becomes a question of where does the "free" stop... Will the government now be forced to provide everyone with a device to make use of this data.

For me the government should be focusing on providing people access to the internet at places like libraries, and not trying to get everyone 10GB of data on their mobile phone, its a way more achievable and logical first step.
Click to expand...
Maybe the 10GB will be streamed to every household via SABC STBs as steaming turd content.
 
R13... said:
Ekurhuleni. But the DA are in charge there now so likely going to lose than ANC benefit, lol. You get 100kwh if you don't use more than a certain amount per month. I think you need to stay within 700kwh.
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Yeah, we lost that in Cape Town years ago. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Then DA run Overstrand charges me R450 just for my meter at my weekend flat, and we use less than 50 units a month there. Not even a free unit but they give the shack dwellers everything free as they want to win their votes. And if you live in the coloured RDP area, then they only half screw you.

CoCT they screw you 100% if you don't live in a shack in a political sensitive area.

So DA most not get involved in this data rollout as they will throw their liberal White Guilt Tax on us all.
 
Other Pineapple Smurf said:
Yeah, we lost that in Cape Town years ago. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Then DA run Overstrand charges me R450 just for my meter at my weekend flat, and we use less than 50 units a month there. Not even a free unit but they give the shack dwellers everything free as they want to win their votes. And if you live in the coloured RDP area, then they only half screw you.

CoCT they screw you 100% if you don't live in a shack in a political sensitive area.

So DA most not get involved in this data rollout as they will throw their liberal White Guilt Tax on us all.
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Ssssh the DA only cares about the Whites... Don't you see the tweeter.
 
Enough with this "Government will provide" bullsht.

The gov is not going to provide anything other than moving stolen money from one side (Tax payers) and then handing it over to the other side (free data).

This is what you would call legal money laundering.

They have to introduce an actual bill stipulating that x% of tax collection goes towards this initiative and it gets approved by all the parliamentary challenges. Until that happens and if they just move ahead with this , it is straight up theft from the tax payer.

With all that said I can promise you outright for a fact that if this goes ahead the company who gets the approval to provide the "data" will be charging 5 or 10x more per GB in resell value. It will be some popup company that registered just a week ago and will merely resell data bundles from other established ISP's and repackage it for the government.

100% guarantee this.
 
So what happened to the WOAN? Fokoli, just pass it on to the Mobile Operators

Ideally, the environment should be so hospitable towards the ICT sector that the data prices drop to such low rates that there will be no need for a subsidy, and even then, it could be an extra R20 to the social grant..

If Government was more helpful, then this might be a reality, instead its all about BEE, Regulation, Spectrum Greed, Theft, Corruption, Nepotism etc.
 
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