SA 'To Invest Millions In High-Speed Internet'

Broadband across Africa has improved over the years but it still lags behind global standards, experts say Photo: AFP

South Africa plans to invest 2.5bn rand (£139m; US$189m) on broadband networks across the country over the next three years, Bloomberg news agency reports.

The government wants the entire country to have access to high-speed internet within the next four years.

“There is still a shortfall in our funding, but we hope to start rolling out broadband as soon as possible,” Telecommunications Minister Siyabonga Cwele told Bloomberg.

“We are sure additional money will come in as we start building.”

South Africans have raised concerns about pricey and unreliable web access. GRAPHITTI NEWS bought you this report (READ HERE).

The high cost of broadband in the country has led to a campaign by South Africans to bring down the prices. The campaign dubbed #DataMustFall has seen users criticize mobile phone operators for their high tariffs. The #DataMustFall campaign was spearheaded by South African Television & Radio Presenter and Entrepreneur, Tbo Touch (real name Thabo Molefe).

Telkom, in which government holds a 40% direct stake, is expected to take a lead on the project but Mr Cwele says the government wants carriers to collaborate on the infrastructure roll-out.

Telkom's competitors include MTN and Vodacom.

"We need to start sharing and not have this monopoly way of thinking. Companies need to start focusing on competing in terms of services, rather than infrastructure," the minister is quoted as saying.

A formal announcement about the project's lead provider has been delayed while a court decides on a disagreement between the government and communications regulator ICASA over whether the radio spectrum, used to transmit and receive data, should be auctioned off.