Broadband War Room for South Africa

The Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabonga Cwele, has talked up government’s Broadband War Room.

Speaking to delegates at SATNAC 2016, Cwele said the war room was established to speed up the roll-out of the country’s broadband policy, South Africa Connect.

He said the War Room was a product of the government’s coordinated implementation plan.

“We are also practicing this coordination at the implementation level through Provincial Broadband Steering Committees that seek to align all broadband activities to the South Africa Connect.”

In the future, Cwele said they hope to coordinate business.

Cwele said they are also partnering with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and the City of eThekwini to host African Ministers responsible for ICT from 16 October 2016.

To “develop a South African position”, Cwele said they will host a National Internet Governance Forum. This will focus on:

1. South African digital economy and e-commerce.
2. Open data government.
3. Inclusive development and the digital transformation in SA.
4. Internet and human rights/freedom of expression.
5. The impact of cyber security on SA economy.
6. Net neutrality in South Africa.
7. Shaping the future of IGF.

Jan Vermeulen is a guest of Telkom at SATNAC 2016.

More on South Africa’s broadband policy

Why Minister Siyabonga Cwele is suing Icasa

South African government too useless to run SA Connect: DA