THE MEC FOR E-GOVERNMENT BONGINKOSI DHLAMINI UNVEILING 30 GPN SITES.
The work that we do as government requires that we organize such gatherings to showcase the
achievements that we have gained in many areas of services delivery. This is also an opportunity to report back to our citizens on promises that we have made. The provision of connectivity to Gauteng government and citizens goes a long way more than just creating a connected government and citizenry but to bridge the technology divide that exists amongst our people.
In 2015/16 when this department was created only 65.7% of households in Gauteng had internet access. To tell the same story in 2021 to 24 the same statistics reveal that Internet access have risen to just over 80% in Gauteng this is according to the General Household Survey of Statistics South Africa. This significant rise tells us that our province has a big appetite for connectivity and we need to move with extreme speed to get everyone connected. As you all know, data is as important as water in this era, as government we stand to benefit a great deal with many of our people being connected.
The Gauteng Provincial Network remains an important function of the Gauteng Department of e-
Government. This is because the department was established with the mandate to digitize and modernize Public services provided by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG).
The core function of the department entails transforming government services, such that services that would normally be accessed manually, with long drawn-out processes and standing in long queues, can easily be accessed digitally any time anywhere at the convenance of the public. These services are commonly referred to as ‘e-services’
However, the provision of these e-services, must be accompanied by the delivery of WI-FI Connectivity in Gauteng, which is a key component of the Gauteng Provincial Network which was formally known as the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN)
The new name of the network provides a more accurate and precise identity for Gauteng residents to easily grasp the brand of the network being a product of the Gauteng Provincial Government established to grow the Gauteng Province.
To just provide a brief background of the GPN, the rollout commenced in 2014 as Phase 1 of the Gauteng Broadband Network. Phase 2 of the project was rolled out from 2019 – March 2023, while phase 3 commenced in the financial year 2023/2024 of which these phases successfully installed the needed infrastructure that has the necessary speed, reliability, and broadband coverage. However, suffice to note that phase 3 is still in progress. During the two phases of the project, more than 1200 sites are connected to the network such as schools, hospitals, clinics, libraries, community centers, government buildings and many other sites.
It is also important to note that the product of GPN consists of providing sites with Wide Area Network (WAN); Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and end-to-end connectivity through the rollout of Local Area Network (LAN) as well as developing Wi-fi hotspots in identified areas.
Furthermore, when deemed necessary, the department upgrades the core network nodes to ensure faster connectivity speed across the Network.
Expanding Gauteng Network’s Footprint For TISH Development
With the 7th administration, there is great emphasis to accelerate development in our Townships,
Hostels and Informal Settlements known as TISH as part of wholistically developing the Gauteng Province. As a result, we have had a new focus to extend the footprint of the Gauteng Provincial Network to cover more TISH areas.
The development and growth of communities, requires that people have the ability and means to access online interventions and digital solutions. Therefore, the provision of technology in Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels contributes towards the needed digital solutions to improve people’s lives.
Not so long ago, we launched Public Wi-Fi through GPN installed at Gorge Goch Hostel. This was a specific intervention to ensure that our communities are included in the digital world and have opportunities to become part of the digital economy.
Furthermore, we all know that the cost of living could be challenging to most Gauteng residents, and as a result, many cannot afford data which consequently perpetuates the issue of the digital divide. As a result, the Gauteng Provincial Network has been playing a crucial role in dealing with the issue of the digital divide in Gauteng.
Therefore, the reason why we decided to install the Gauteng Provincial Network in TISH areas is so that people who cannot afford data to access the internet can easily do so without spending money. We are government understand that the cost of buying data is also a contributing factor that prohibits people to participate in the digital space.
Benefits of the GPN
It is crucial to note that the Gauteng Provincial Network plays an important role in accelerating digitization in Gauteng. For example, we want to use the GPN to transform the process of teaching and learning in our schools as a way to modernize our education system. We might not be where we desire currently, however, we are heading in the right direction as we continue to roll out connectivity to schools.
Those that already have the GPN can attest that it has simplified the process of teaching and learning. On the other hand, our libraries have been instrumental to assist our learners to do their homework and assignments as they are able to do research.
Young people in the townships are able to visit Thusong Centers to prepare their CVs and apply for jobs online, including applying for government jobs, while some use the GPN to advance their small businesses.
Our hospitals are able to access systems such as queue management and digital filing systems, which enhances service delivery in our hospitals. There are many more benefits that I can talk about, but due to time, I will just keep to these.
Unveiling the 30 Sites
We continue with the roll-out of the GPN, but today we will just focus on the 30 newly built sites. These new sites are from the 5 corridors of Gauteng. The 30 new sites include schools, libraries, clinics and hostels. For example, we have Donaldson Primary School, situated in the City of Johannesburg District,
Impumelelo Library situated in Sedibeng, Tshepisong Clinic in the West Rand, Inkanyezi Community Hall, Goba Clinic, Henley-On-Klip Library, Murray Roberts Hostel to name but a few.
The public Wi-Fi sites that we are unveiling today are Daveyton Main Clinic and Lesiba Secondary School.
As a department, we are committed to ensuring that the GPN is accessible everywhere in Gauteng such as in community parks and taxi ranks. Our vision is that Gauteng residents should not struggle to access WI-FI. This will also assist residents to access our online services such as the new Matric App that we have developed to provide convenience and easy access for matriculants to check their results online once the results are out.
With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity and thank you all for being part of this event. Thank you to members of the media for once again availing yourselves and to make this day a success.