Programme Director
Ministers and Deputy Ministers
CEOs and ICT Captains of Industry
Government and other leaders,
Distinguished guests,
Last week was an important week in the history of our country. The Census 2011 Report gave us a clear indication of the direction our country is moving in.
South Africa is infinitely better off than it was a decade ago. The greatest improvement has been in living standards. In the 2011 census, 73.4 percent of South Africans reported having access to piped water within their homes or yards, up from 62.3 percent in 2001. Households using electricity for lighting increased from 70.2 percent in 2001 to 84.7 percent. The proportion of households owning cellphones increased from 31,9% in 2001 to 88,9% in 2011.
Importantly it also showed that 35 percent of the population had access to the internet, mostly through mobile phones. It is these percentages that bring us to today’s workshop on the Broadband Strategy and Implementation Plan.
We are here not only to improve that last statistic, but to improve the quality of life of all South Africans through increased access to broadband.
Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish you all a warm welcome on behalf of the Department of Communications. It gives me great pleasure to be here this morning as we bring to fruition a vital component of the work of the department. This workshop on the Broadband Strategy and Implementation Plan will allow us to share our thoughts and solicit your views regarding the future of Broadband in South Africa.
During the next few hours, the department will share with this Workshop its achievements, progress, challenges and possible solutions as we work towards our vision of providing 100 percent broadband access to our citizens by 2020.
Distinguished guests,
The United Nations Broadband Commission shares our views on the importance of broadband access. Its report on the State of Broadband 2012 emphasises the vital role that this technology is playing in the 21st century.
Broadband improves the lives of people through the facilitation of distance education and advances the lives of women, promoting innovation and encouraging the acquisition of new skills. The World Bank has estimated that a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration, would yield a 1.21 and 1.38 percent increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth on average, for high-income and low/middle-income countries, respectively.
The Commission sets four new targets for making broadband policy universal and increasing uptake of broadband, all achievable by 2015. Firstly, all countries should have national broadband plan or strategy.
It also wants broadband to be affordable; entry-level broadband services should be made inexpensive, especially in developing countries, through adequate regulation and market forces.
The Commission sets a target of connecting 40 percent of households in developing countries to broadband. It also wants more people online; internet user penetration should be 60% worldwide, 50% in developing countries and 15% in Least Developing Countries.
Importantly, the Broadband Commission highlights the critical role of public private partnerships in accelerating broadband provision. We do realise that our goal of achieving 100 percent broadband is not possible without your assistance and input.
The hosting of this Workshop is a clear indication of government’s recognition of the fact that the success of broadband penetration in South Africa cannot be a government centred initiative – it is a partnership.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to remind you of the vision of the Broadband Policy upon which this workshop is instituted. It states that:
“The vision of the Broadband Policy is to ensure universal access to broadband coverage by 2020, by ensuring that South Africans are able to access broadband either individually, or as a household, subscribe to a broadband service directly or indirectly at a private or public access point.”
To achieve this vision Government appreciates the importance of partnership - a collaborative effort between government and the industry.
It gives me great pleasure to be part of the workshop on the Broadband Policy and Implementation Plan. I am glad to see many familiar faces around the room. I am pleased that you have taken the time out of your busy schedules to be here today. Your presence is acknowledged and appreciated.
Industry leaders,
It is common knowledge to this gathering that currently in South Africa there are many broadband-related projects underway. Hardly a week goes by without some or the other initiative coming to the fore. However, these are fragmented and sometimes results in the duplication of infrastructure and services.
We recognise the important role that the private sector has played in these broadband initiatives. However, there is a need for a comprehensive strategy that defines the outcomes sought, has realistic and achievable objectives with medium term and long term priorities, and the recognition that these may need to change.
We all understand that access to broadband services is a necessity for growth and the social and economic upliftment of our people, most especially our rural communities and those in remote areas of our country. Therefore, it is important that we appreciate the need for prioritisation, taking into account the poor and those in areas that have been geographically less considered in the past.
Ladies and gentlemen,
By this I mean needy persons and ‘under-serviced’ areas should be identified and defined. Our interventions must place time-frames on when such people and places will be provided with services. Providing connectivity to government, schools, and health centres is critical.
The lack of infrastructure for the provision of broadband services outside of Gauteng, and the metros of Durban and Cape Town cannot be allowed to continue. We are concerned that outside of these centres it is difficult if not impossible to access broadband.
We cannot condemn a vast majority of our population to living in the 20th century. Government will ensure that appropriate infrastructure to support broadband services is deployed to enable the attainment of our 2020 vision.
Esteemed guests,
The issues of broadband are broad as the name suggests. However, our government is committed to making resources available to ensure that access to broadband services is universal. We look forward to a fruitful workshop and your robust participation in such.
Let’s work together for a solution that will improve the lives of all South Africans so that when the next census is held, we can once again look forward to the results with pride.
Thank you.
