As part of the first steps in implementing its recently tabled information and communications technology (ICT) strategy, the City of Tshwane and its partner, the Alan Knott-Craig junior-led nongovernmental organisation Project Isizwe, on Thursday kicked off the roll-out of free WiFi access to poor communities and educational institutions in the capital.

The first phase, which would be completed by the end of November, would provide WiFi access at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve campus, the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield campus, the Tshwane North College, the Mamelodi Community Centre and Church Square, in the city centre.

Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Knott-Craig added that R1-million, provided by the City of Tshwane, would provide for the completion of Phase 1 and five years of bandwidth.

The project would extend to all 219 schools in Soshanguve, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville during 2014, as the parties implemented free WiFi access at these areas as part of Phase 2.

The initiative was based on voluntary and complementary partnerships, with the structure of Project Isizwe, which was established in April, enabling partners to easily “come on board” and contribute either funds or asymmetrical, or unused, bandwidth to the project through corporate social investment initiatives, he added.

Further, with the ever-decreasing cost of equipment and bandwidth and no need to rent buildings and space to host the access points, as it was placed on government properties, it would become easier to implement and more cost-effective to expand in the future.

However, one disadvantage of the system was that, as more people connected to the WiFi grid, the speed of the bandwidth would slow down. Users were also limited to a fair-use policy of no more than 250 MB a day and speeds of 1 Mb/s.

The project would cache educational content closer to users’ areas for easy access and some sites that are deemed inappropriate for students would be filtered as far as possible.

City of Tshwane executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said the initial regions were selected in an effort to target higher education facilities and position Tshwane as the country’s educational and research capital.

The long-term ambitions of the project, which would be implemented across all government institutions by 2016, were to bring WiFi connectivity “to every household, every street and every corner” in Tshwane.

But students were key targets, as access to educational material was critical to long-term economic growth.

The city had already connected over 100 sites, including all the municipal libraries, over the past two years.

The City of Tshwane’s ICT Strategy, approved by the Mayoral Committee in April, formed part of the capital’s 2055 vision and embraced the concept of a 'smart city'.

City of Tshwane chief information officer Dumisani 0tumile said the ICT strategy was critical to improving the delivery of basic services and ensuring digital inclusion, through a cheaper and free WiFi broadband network.

The improvement of revenue collection, the generation of new revenue, and building a robust ICT infrastructure that stimulates economic growth, also drove the strategy.

“It will stimulate opportunities for the business sector, create small to medium-sized enterprises, bring business and people together and increase employment opportunities,” said Ramokgopa.

Otumile added that, over the next year, the city would embark on projects targeting municipal services and implementing the delivery of electronic statements, online buying of prepaid electricity, electronic payment of traffic fines and electronic bill payment capability.