Biggest local tech stories in 2014
From fibre to fights over qualifications and milking the middle class, 2014 played host to some big headline-grabbers in the local tech sector.
Here are our selections of the biggest local tech stories of 2014.
Fibre-to-the-home launches
With long talk of established operators introducing fibre-to-the-home in 2014, residents of Parkhurst got a bit impatient and decided to take matters into their own hands.
In May 2014, residents of Parkview, Johannesburg, put out a call for fibre providers to supply and service fibre lines in the affluent neighbourhood – a month later, Vumatel was hired to do the job.
What followed was what can only be described as a “rush” from operators to dish out their fibre plans: testing, trenching and launching in a number of areas.
By December 2014, MTN and Telkom had both launched commercial fibre products, with Vodacom planning massive investment to the tune of R500 million into its own fibre network (on top of the proposed Neotel deal, which will add thousands of kilometres of fibre to its portfolio).
Fibre: an important part of the well-balanced broadband diet.
E-toll review panel
The controversial e-tolling system spent its first year of operation very much in line with how its main opponents predicted: low compliance, and its fair share of operational hiccoughs.
While Sanral’s financial position around the system has been quite tight – and the civil opposition towards the system continues to grow – it was actually the results of the latest National Elections which pushed action.
After losing % in Gauteng in the 2014 National Elections, Gauteng Premier David Makhura took the first positive action to hear the voices of those impacted by the system by establishing the E-toll Review Panel (later called the E-toll Advisory Panel).
The panel was established to gauge the social and economic impact of the tolling system, and heard presentation from every sector impacted by the system, including Sanral and the Department of Transport (who remained in favour of the system).
The panel’s report was handed to Makhura at the end of November 2014, with the results set to be published in the new year – though ANC insiders have let slip that the report has called for the scrapping of the system entirely.
E-tolling: 1 year old and still unwanted.
SABC qualification mess
A year ago (November 2013) the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, released a report slamming the SABC and its management for mass mismanagement and corruption, pointing specifically to the group’s acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Motsoeneng was accused of lying about his qualifications and abusing his power in purging SABC staff, and hiking salaries, including his own, which jumped from R1.4 million to R2.7 million in a year.
One year later and, contrary to the Public Protector’s findings, Motsoeneng is now the official COO of the broadcaster, and doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere.
To add to the deeply concerning situation at the public broadcaster, SABC chairwoman, Ellen Tshabalala, who was fundamental in Motsoeneng’s appointment at the company, is also facing her own qualifications saga.
The chair has failed to provide proof of the Unisa qualifications she claims she has (which the university denies she ever had), and has rejected motions from parliament and opposition parties that she should step down.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng: unqualified and in charge
Video on demand in demand
Video on demand has been a hot topic in the country since reports emerged that local mobile operators were looking to expand content offerings on their respective networks
Telkom has long rumoured to have been in talks with content managers to get VOD content on its network, while MTN announced earlier in the year that it would be launching VOD services in the coming months.
Vodacom, Ster-Kinekor and even Multichoice have expressed interest in VOD services – but it was Times Media’s VIDI service which trumped the lot to launch content first, followed by Altech’s Node.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), even more video-on-demand services will be coming, and the promise of mass FTTx roll-out in the future is certain to bring a lot more choice to the market.
Vidi gained first-move advantage in the VOD sector
Load shedding strikes hard
State power utility Eskom’s financial and operational problems have been known for years – but such things are often in the fringe of the every day South African’s mind.
Until load-shedding happens, of course.
Eskom first announced that it would start load shedding back in March 2014, after heavy rain had left coal stocks wet.
The group said it was facing the most serious power emergency since 2008 – and they weren’t kidding. For the remainder of the year, the company was operating on the edge, with the slightest push threatening to send the country back into the “dark ages”.
That push came after alleged neglect led to a coal silo collapsing, shifting the country into a power emergency, and dreaded stage 2 and stage 3 load-shedding schedules, which impacted citizens, businesses and investment potential across the country.
Eskom had a rocky year from start to finish
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