Facebook and Cell C have partnered with the City of Cape Town to provide public access Wi-Fi locations across the city.
The City of Cape Town have just announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cell C in partnership with Facebook which could pave the way for the expansion of public access Wi-Fi locations across the city.
Internet access is set to change in the Western Cape, with Wi-Fi access seeing exponential growth in the near future as the Western Cape Government will now offer affordable Wi-Fi access.
Most people and communities in rural, remote areas rely heavily on mobile phones to stay in touch and conduct business, and since mobile broadband costs are still unaffordable to many of our citizens, having Wi-Fi networks in place present them with options they would normally not have and public access Wi-Fi Hotspots make it possible to offer low cost or free Internet access, possibly subsidised by advertising or a corporate entity.
The MOU proposes to give Cell C access to City street pole infrastructure, Council-owned buildings and public spaces to assess what is possible and what could be done using the existing City infrastructure. Cell C’s proposal will include possibly installing Wi-Fi access points on these street light poles, City of Cape Town buildings, bus stops, terminals and public transport hubs.
“This is a very exciting proposal which aims to take connectivity to communities that otherwise have no access to the internet. This is in line with the City’s goal to promote digital inclusion as part of our strategy to be the Digital Capital of Africa and to bridge the digital divide.”
This is an exciting development to serve the needs of our growing city and to ensure that all of our residents are connected and are able to access Wi-Fi close to their homes.
“Cell C is always looking at ways to bring access to as many South Africans as we can. We know that this project will assist us in our mission to connect those who have not been able to access Wi-Fi before,” said Cell C Chief Executive Officer, Jose Dos Santos.
As an opportunity City, Cape Town have stated that they understand the needs of the 21st century and the importance of connectivity. The provision of Wi-Fi is a key part of their integration strategies where the city is connecting more people to services and opportunities.
We firmly believe that there is a positive correlation between the availability of internet access and the social and economic upliftment of communities.
Internet access and digital literacy are widely recognised as enablers of economic participation and improved educational outcomes.
For this administration, digital inclusion is important and in this regard we have already rolled out more than 890 km of fibre optic cables and connected over 300 City-owned buildings with Wi-Fi that is accessible to our residents.
We are committed, as intended by the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan, to not only provide world-class basic services but to also enable widespread connectivity, especially for previously disadvantaged communities.
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