With data prices the hot talking point, the provincial government has unveiled 22 more wi-fi hot spots where users are able to connect for free.
It brings the total number of hot spots launched by the Western Cape government since March to 72, with the aim of activating at least one hot spot in each of the province’s 384 municipal wards by 2018.
MEC for economic opportunities Alan Winde said yesterday that the hot spot allowed connected devices access to 250MB of data every month.
He said a further 88 hot spots would go live between now and March next year. “The remaining 234 will be installed in the 2017/2018 financial year and other hot spots will be installed in Beaufort West, Bitou, Breede Valley, Cederberg, Drakenstein, Knysna, Laingsburg, Mossel Bay and Oudsthoorn over the next few months.”
Winde said that in other areas where hot spots had gone live, “internet champions” had been dispatched to ensure the service delivered a real benefit to residents because it was their role to assist communities with basic digital literacy and internet awareness.
Sophumelela Secondary school principal Mzimasi Hoho said they were very excited because the connectivity would help pupils who did not have data.
“It really makes difference in the school because pupils can work from it without going to the lab. It enables them to do research and apply online without using their own data.”
For Pamela Sokrowa, 30, from Gugulethu, the free wi-fi was a real boon. “This free wi-fi is very good for the province, especially the disadvantaged people who don’t have data to apply for jobs online.”
Winde said the hot spots had been growing in popularity.
“In the past five months since the first NeoHotspots went live, usage has steadily increased with more than 37 000 devices having connected to the limited free service, and over 1.7TB of free data being used to download and upload information.
“On top of the free allocation, Western Cape citizens purchasing Neotel’s low cost data vouchers have utilised a further 8 227GB (over 8TB) of data.
“Neotel’s low cost NeoHotspot vouchers help to contribute to the sustainability of the wi-fi model.”