Fibre network operator Evotel has connected and activated 50 schools across the country as part of its Schools Programme, providing them with free fibre to connect to the Internet through the fastest connection available.

The Evotel Schools programme, in essence, aims to establish “smart schools” with a focus on providing learners with the ability to thrive and be successful in a connected world.

“We set a target to connect 50 schools that fall under our network coverage area in the first year of the programme and we are more than ecstatic to have reached this target. The schools don’t have to pay a cent for the fast, open-access fibre infrastructure. It is simply one of our ways to give back to the community,” says Bradley Bekker, Evotel’s head of brand.

As the world today is reliant on the Internet, Evotel realised that schools in South Africa have been largely overlooked, unable to benefit from a fast and reliable fibre connection to the World Wide Web and the opportunities it offers. It felt it had to do something to change this and decided to invest in the education of South Africa’s youth with its Schools Programme.

Andante Primary School in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-natal was one of the 50 schools Evotel provided free fibre to. Its principal, Lorraine Schirge, is excited about this development.

“Fibre internet is essential to keeping up with the fast-changing technology of our world. It is wonderful to be able to turn on your computers and cellphones and have trouble-free internet access. It is a must for this world of technology today and it makes research and learning so much more available to us all,” says Schirge. “Thank you Evotel for your help. One expense less and we are able to keep up in this changing world and assist the leaders of tomorrow to be a step ahead.”

The extra mile

Evotel’s dedication to education and providing “Fibre for Everyone”, as its slogan states, means it has gone the extra mile by going out of its way to connect a school in need, which no other FNO in the area was willing to assist.

“We decided to assist HTS Witbank, which reached out to us, as no other fibre network operator in the area was willing to provide the school with a free fibre connection. We literally went out of our way and our network coverage area to connect them to our fibre network. We laid approximately 600m of aerial fibre without any cost to the school. Evotel covered the network extension cost of close to R26 000.”

“Thank you for investing in education, which in turn invests in the youth, being the future of our country. Thank you for making a difference, a difference that might lead to the next Elon Musk or Steve Jobs taking their first steps into history, right here at HTS Witbank. In a word, we are grateful for the effort and dedication that made this connection happen. It did not pass unnoticed, and we cannot thank them enough,” says HTS Witbank deputy principal M Wolmarans.

According to various teachers from the school, the fibre connection makes learning and teaching easier and more convenient.

“It allows for a richer educational experience, seeing as there is lightning quick access to information sources and colleagues should it be necessary, and lesson plans can now include videos, animations and graphics, previously unheard of,” says Wolmarans.

Evotel has set a new target of connecting an additional 50 schools in the coming months to reach a total of 100 schools this year

According to Wolmarans, learners are very positive and excited to utilise all the new avenues open to them. Visual education is sometimes easier to understand than textbooks and old-school methods. She notes that opportunities for struggling students are legion, and they have a better chance of making a successful transition from school to life.

Evotel evaluates and assesses each such extension to connect schools that fall outside of its network coverage area and is currently assessing connecting two schools in Kathu in the Northern Cape.

Evotel has set a new target of connecting an additional 50 schools in the coming months to reach a total of 100 schools this year.

“We are determined to reach our target of 100 schools by the end of 2022, but apart from that, the feelings expressed by teachers like Mrs Lorraine Schirge and Ms Wolmarans and learners is worth it. Seeing how the schools are utilising our fibre to provide learners with a better educational experience is what makes us proud to be part of contributing to the development of our youth,” says Bekker.