RSA’s broadband penetration very low!!
Oct
Posted by: webnow
A recent article on www.mybroadband.co.za stated that broadband penetration is still very low. What can be done? What can ISP’s do to force the matter?
Is it Telkom’s fault, barrier to entry is to costly? Surely they need to read this and be ashamed! What do you think?
Read more:
In a statement released by the Department of Communications (DoC) today the poor state of broadband in South Africa took center stage.
According to the Deputy Minister of Communications, Dina Pule, who is attending the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Mexico, it is critical that these discussions focus on the sharing of best practices on the broadband roll-out in developing countries which may be applied in other countries particularly in Africa.
“South Africa’s broadband penetration remains very low, at around 2 percent, and the Department is keen to learn strategies on how to fast-track its broadband initiatives to support schools, hospitals and government,” said Pule.
The DoC said that the Deputy Minister is taking views from several experts on the issue including experiences from the government of Mexico.
Broadband in rural areas
Pule has already held strategic discussions with other participating ministers and experts on the roll-out of broadband, especially in rural areas. This follows the launch of the Broadband Commission by the Secretary-General of the ITU Dr Hamadoun Tourè earlier this year as a leadership imperative.
“Broadband infrastructure is expected to propel the use of ICTs especially content platforms to grow steadily in the next few years and supporting socio-economic development,” the DoC said.
“The challenge faced by the developing countries relates to ensuring that broadband connectivity is expanded to the rural areas, as well as building confidence in the use of technologies to improve livelihood, not only for transmitting information and knowledge to the citizens but also to ensure that ICTs assist in the delivery of government services, health and education.”
Recent research on global broadband competitiveness
The results from the latest Oxford University Broadband Study were released recently, revealing that South Africa has shown a marked improvement from 2009 increasing 10% in its broadband quality score.
South Africa however still remains below the threshold of meeting the quality requirements of today’s applications, a fact which the DoC should take cognizance of.
South Africa’s top cities, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban had an average Broadband Quality Score of 22.3. In comparison, South Korea tops the list with a score of 157.
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/15933-SAs-broadband-penetration-very-low-DoC.html
