The roll-out of "transformative" broadband could make a huge difference in an economy like South Africa, Telkom SA head of strategy Dr Miriam Altman said on Tuesday.
Broadband would improve public services' – including hospitals and schools – ability to deliver efficient, speedy and accurate services, as well as enable small business to get online, she commented at the Southern African Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference, or Satnac, in Stellenbosch.
Altman cited social challenges, linked to the state of the economy, which saw - owing to South Africa’s high unemployment rate - the vast majority of people supporting four to six dependants, and being unable to afford transport to access public services.
Further, those living far from services and commercial or industrial centres were marginalised from these services and there was an opportunity to connect this dispersed and widespread population to these services online.
“Getting lines out to houses is not the transformative solution. But getting everyone online [particularly rural communities] is the goal,” she noted.