IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

• The Gauteng Department of eGovernment is rolling out free WiFi to several Johannesburg hostels including Diepkloof, Alexandra, Orlando West, and others.
• The initiative connects these hostels to the Gauteng Provincial Network, aiming to provide free internet for education, employment, entrepreneurship, entertainment, and government services
• Part of the Department of eGovernment’s R1.5 billion budget is for expanding free public WiFi across the province.

The Gauteng Department of eGovernment, responsible for the province’s digital infrastructure, has announced that it will be rolling out free WiFi to hostels in the City of Johannesburg.

The eThekwini Municipality is South Africa’s second-largest economy after Johannesburg and is home to 3.5 million people. In this thriving city, data cost is a major factor affecting the proliferation of Internet access among the majority of residents. The eThekwini government has noticed this and recognized that free public Wi-Fi would bring many benefits to its residents.

As such, the eThekwini government launched a three-year public Wi-Fi construction plan to provide convenient and accessible Internet to the public, empowering more citizens to enjoy the beauty of the digital world. According to the plan, in the next three years, approximately 450 public Wi-Fi hotspots will be available in eThekwini, covering 96 public libraries and the landmark Moses Mabhida Stadium, as well as tourism and business centers, including aquariums, seafronts, and the uShaka Marine World.

Jobs, service delivery and crime were issues brought forward by residents of eThekwini after the municipality announced that it was rolling out free wi-fi in the inner city.

The eThekwini Municipality has also started putting up boards alerting residents where the wi-fi spots are.

On Thursday morning, the municipality said that it had installed free wi-fi hotspots in Warwick Junction, Florida Road and the beachfront in keeping with plans to promote Durban as a smart city with access to the digital world.

The City of Tshwane metropolitan municipality (Tshwane) announced the roll-out plan of its free Wi-Fi project at a media briefing in Centurion today (15 August 2013).

Executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa announced in a statement that the roll-out will be done in partnership with Project Isizwe, a non-profit movement that aims to provide free Wi-Fi Internet to Africa.