The department of communications is to host a full-day workshop this Friday, 25 October, to debate South Africa’s national broadband policy.
Interested parties have been invited to attend the meeting, which will take place in Pretoria.
The plan, according to the department, is to provide a “platform to solicit comments and inputs from all relevant stakeholders in finalising the broadband policy”.
It’s unclear whether the full-day workshop will have any impact on government promises that it will deliver a final broadband policy document by the end of November.
Communications minister Yunus Carrim promised at Google’s recent Big Tent event in Midrand that the policy would be finalised by then. His spokesman, Siya Qoza, could not immediately be reached for comment on the workshop.
He said at the time that it was crucial that government deliver on its broadband promises, making radio frequency spectrum available to operators, and fast-tracking migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television.
Carrim has also promised an “effective spectrum policy related to broadband” before the end of March 2014.
“This consultative workshop will provide a platform to solicit comments and inputs from all relevant stakeholders in finalising the broadband policy,” the department of communications says.
“The broadband roll-out by all three spheres of government will be done in accordance of the national broadband policy,” the department says ahead of Friday’s workshop.
“This will ensure a uniform, integrated, homogenous and co-ordinated government approach in … the provision of broadband services in the country and [that] all provinces and municipalities receive equitable attention irrespective of their economic and financial status.” — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media