DoC ICT round-table “refreshing”
The Minister of Communications, Roy Padayachie, met with the leaders of what the Department of Communications (DoC) regards as the top 30 ICT companies in South Africa on 25 February 2011.
In a media briefing held after the round-table, Padayachie explained that the meeting was oversubscribed and that the department couldn’t accommodate all interested parties.
The DoC elected to meet with the top 30 South African ICT companies, which they ranked according to market cap. Padayachie assured that the DoC did intend to “take the dialogue further” and would meet other stakeholders further down the line.
Positive response from industry
The company executives that attended the media briefing with Padayachie and deputy minister Obed Bapela, expressed optimism about the day’s proceedings.
Among them were Craig Venter, CEO of Altech, who famously took the DoC (then under the late Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri) to court, and won the right for Altech and other companies to build their own telecommunications networks.
Venter said that it was refreshing to see the Minister of Communications take the lead as Padayachie has. He added that it was an exciting prospect to have government work closely with industry in future. “We had a highly productive day today,” he said.
Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys also commended Padayachie for demonstrating his department’s willingness to work with industry. “After a long drought we have received some rain from the DoC,” Uys said.
Uys was positive about the department’s long-term vision for information and communications technology (ICT) in South Africa, such as putting broadband in the hands of every South African by 2020.
He added that short-term deliverables are important as well, saying that South Africa needs something sooner than 2020. “It is possible to put broadband in the hands of everybody,” Uys said.
He said that developments in ICT are moving so fast that one doesn’t know what technology will be at our disposal in future. Addressing concerns about possible conflicts of interest from industry, Uys explained that there will be multiple industry groups working with the DoC.
“The Honourable Minister will also chair working groups personally to ensure there is no conflict of interests,” Uys concluded.
Department of Communications ICT round-table “refreshing” << Comments and views
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