Residents of Kromdraai in the West Rand, Gauteng, will now be able to participate in the digital world, thanks to the Gauteng Provincial Network (GPN) free WIFI launched at Matla Combined School.
The GPN WIFI, which was unveiled on Sunday, is offered by the Gauteng Department of e-Government (e-Gov), a department established to modernise government services in Gauteng.
The department’s main role is to roll out broadband connectivity, which seeks to connect all public facilities, including schools and hospitals. It also provides free public WIFI for Gauteng communities.
Unveiling the sites, Gauteng Department of e-Government MEC, Bonginkosi Dhlamini, said the WIFI will ensure that Gauteng residents have free access to the internet, enabling them to participate in digital activities that can further their education, skills, and career prospects.
Dhlamini said the provincial government wants to ensure that Gauteng residents are able to access services through digital means.
‘Nowadays, we do not expect peopl
e to wait in long queues to access certain services that can easily be accessed online. This can only be achieved through the power of technology and connectivity,’ Dhlamini said.
Mogale City Mayor, who also attended the event, Danny Thupane, said the community of Kromdraai has been struggling with connectivity because the area is situated on the outskirts of the West Rand.
‘We are very excited for this opportunity. It is not only the network that is an issue in these parts, but our people struggle with the ever-increasing prices of data.
‘This project will go a long way in allowing our people to access the internet and participate in the digital world,’ Thupane said.
The GPN also enhances the efficiency of service delivery and eliminates unnecessary duplication of Information and Communication Technology in the Gauteng provincial government while ensuring that information systems remain secure.
In April this year, the Communications and Digital Technologies announced that government plans to connect 5.5
million households in rural and township areas to Wi-Fi hotspots in the next three to four years.
Source: South African Government News Agency