Question NW1606 to the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

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17 June 2016 - NW1606

Profile picture: Shinn, Ms MR

Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

(a) Which (i) metropolitan areas, (ii) cities and (iii) towns had Wi-Fi networks installed in the past five years, (b) what were the criteria for choosing the specified sites, (c) how much funding was given to each of the specified sites, (d) what is the (i) expected coverage area and (ii) population reach of each of the specified sites, (e)(i) which of the specified sites are live and (ii) when were they switched on and (f)(i) which of the specified sites are not live and (ii) when will they go live?

Reply:

The Department has advised me as follows:

(a) (i) (ii) & (iii) In the 2015/16 financial year, the Department funded expansion of Wi-Fi networks in the following Metropolitan Municipality areas:

  • City of Tshwane
  • City of Johannesburg
  • City of Mangaung
  • Ekhuruleni
  • City of Cape Town
  • Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

The District Municipality of Dr Kenneth Kaunda in the North West used its own resources to deploy WiFi during 2015/16.

(b) The criteria was readiness to implement and focus on areas which were underserved or having high concentration of population.

(c) The Department made available R40m that was distributed amongst the 6 Metropolitan municipalities based on their proposals on the extent of the expansion of their WiFi programmes:

Metro

Funding

Nelson Mandela Bay

R 6m

City of Tshwane

R 8.9m

City of JoBurg

R 7.8m

City of Cape Town

R 4.6m

Ekurhuleni

R 7.4 m

Mangaung

R 5.3m

TOTAL

R 40m

(d) (i) and (ii) Expected areas of coverage and population reach are:

Metro

Areas to be covered

Average of population reach(users)

Nelson Mandela Bay

Zwide, Kwanobuhle, Korter, Kwamagxaki, Motherwell, Kwazakhele

25 000

City of Tshwane

Mabopane, Saulsville, Winterveldt

90 000

City of JoBurg

Alexandra, Dieplsoot, Tshepisong, Ivory Park, Doornkop, Orlando East, Dhlamini, Lawley, Protea South, etc

45 000

City of Cape Town

Athlone, Goodwood, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Harare, Crossroads

39 000

Metro

Areas to be covered

Average of population reach(users)

Ekurhuleni

Alberton, Benoni, Daveton, Springs Katlehong, Voslorus, Tembisa, Tsakane, Nigel

45 000

Mangaung

Bloemfontein, Thaba Nchu, Bosthabelo

45000

(e)(i) - (ii) The following Metros have live sites and have been live since the dates shown alongside:

  • Tshwane – March 2016
  • Ekhuruleni – April 2016
  • Nelson Mandela – April 2016
  • Cape town (80% sites live) – Sites switched on since March 2016 and all expected to be live by 30 June 2016

(f)(i) The following areas have not switched on their sites:

  • City of Johannesburg
  • Mangaung

(ii) The expected timeline for switch on is by the end of July 2016

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