The DA is sceptical about the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) plan to connect 90% of the population to the internet\u00a0by 2020\u00a0through the creation of a new state IT infrastructure company.<\/p>\n
The new strategy for SA Connect was presented to parliament\u2019s Portfolio Committee on Telecommunications and Postal Services on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“Government hopes to combine the fibre network and high-speed bandwidth capacity of Broadband Infraco with Sentech\u2019s satellite capability, boosting connections to remote areas as it aims to lift mobile broadband coverage to 80% of the population by 2019,” said\u00a0Robert Nkuna, director-general at the DTPS on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want a top-heavy company, but a company that has sharp capacity to aggregate what exists in South Africa so we don\u2019t duplicate,\u201d said Nkuna.<\/p>\n
However, it is clear that\u00a0the focus of the department has shifted from meeting the urgent delivery deadlines of SA Connect in under-developed areas to building yet another state owned company from the existing fibre networks and infrastructure operated by state entities Broadband Infraco, Sentech, PRASA, Eskom, Sanral and Transnet, said DA shadow minister of telecommunications Mariann Shinn.<\/p>\n
Shinn outlined the following steps that government should take if it was “serious” about rapidly rolling out broadband connectivity to the nation:<\/p>\n
Instead, the government now wants to waste more time and public money by creating a huge state broadband company that will further delay the much-needed roll-out of broadband connectivity, said Shinn.<\/p>\n
“The DA has always maintained that a more innovative, dynamic and inclusive strategy is needed so that South Africans can have access to the internet and the opportunities that this access will open up.<\/p>\n
The formation of this new company will start with drafting legislation to merge Broadband Infraco and Sentech into the State Infrastructure Company. Both these entities will be expected to fund their merger and future operations from their balance sheets but neither currently receives government funding.”<\/p>\n
Citing\u00a0BMI-TechKnowledge research, Shinn said that\u00a0the capital funding needed for this roll-out was between R32.9 billion and R84.9 billion, depending on the technology used.<\/p>\n
Operational costs were calculated at between R54.8 million and R116.4 million a year.<\/p>\n
“As usual, the short-sighted ANC government\u2019s control will not yield any tangible results anytime soon, instead it will remain a major deterrent to the expansion of broadband roll-out to all South Africans and exacerbate the digital divide.”<\/p>\n