South Africa’s mobile operators are perpetuating the digital divide with high prices, argues Paul Colmer.
been spilled over the so-called “ digital divide ”, “connecting the unconnected” and “digital exclusion”. But have we ever paused to ponder where these buzzwords originate?
The real heroes are the smaller, agile companies and government initiatives tirelessly working to connect the unconnected . Contrary to Vodacom’s gloomy forecast, South Africa is charging full steam ahead with network roll-outs in underserved communities nationwide.The South African government’s broadband access fund hasto roll out connectivity to thousands of homes and hotspots in underserved areas.
Fibertime has been making strides in townships, connecting more than 70 000 homes across 13 townships in four provinces. With hundreds of thousands more sites under construction, they’re planning to scale up to an additional million homes. Considering all these initiatives, it’s clear that Vodacom’s claims of being the sole saviour for these areas are, at best, exaggerated. Moreover, the alleged damage to foreign investment appears to be a phantom menace.from a pricing standpoint, advocating for more affordable cellphones and devices to help more people benefit from the digital economy, thereby narrowing the connectivity gap between rich and poor.Plans are under way to remove ad valorem taxes on smartphones.
Digital Divide Heroes Paul Colmer Wapa
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