Ambitious broadband plans for Gauteng
Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa announced in a recent address that affordable broadband access remains a priority for the Gauteng region.
Shilowa said that “we will in the period ahead implement the G-link (Gauteng link) initiative to provide affordable broadband access to 95% of Gauteng's people within the next five years.”
“This will add significantly to the province's GDP and job creation efforts by 2014. The initiative will not only enhance economic growth and investment, but will also contribute to social development and improve the delivery of social services”
The Gauteng premier promised that entrepreneurs and SMME's will be linked to the information superhighway, giving them the opportunity to develop relevant products and services.
The province is further planning to expand their Innovation Hub to accommodate 40 high technology SMME companies.
“There are now 68 companies in the hub's Incubation Programme, employing a total of 850 people. Seven companies have graduated from the Incubation Programme and are achieving a turnover of R43 million and another 14 companies will graduate from the Incubation Programme this year,” said Shilowa.
Challenges
Plans to roll out municipal broadband and create a smart city or province are however nothing new.
Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekhuruleni are well known for their municipal broadband plans, but up to now citizens received little more than the promise of cheaper broadband from these municipalities.
The two most prominent projects – Tshwane and the Johannesburg Broadband Network Project – lost their project leaders Charles Kuun and Douglas Cohen who were widely seen as strong driving forces behind these projects.
The Johannesburg Broadband Network Project is further under threat after a few short listed companies withdrew from the project.
Some insiders commented that municipal interference and a lack of will from senior municipal officials have seriously hampered progress while bureaucracy and red tape continue put a handbrake on these initiatives.
Since the departure of Kuun and Cohen very little information about these projects has become available which may be an indication of a potential slowdown.
Shilowa and Gauteng however still look confident that G-Link will be the remedy to Gauteng’s broadband woes and provide the connectivity injection the province needs to excel economically.
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