FEBRUARY 23, 1998
Madam Speaker, Honourable members, Ladies and gentlemen,
As in many areas of South African life, there is a great imbalance in access to telecommunications services. South Africa is the 14th largest user of the Internet in the world, with state-of-the-art communications systems (including cellphones) in many urban areas.
In most rural areas, however, there is very poor service with many South Africans never having made a phone call. The number of phone lies per 100 people is 9,5% overall for South Africa. In some wealthy suburbs this figures does up to 50% whereas in parts of the Eastern Cape the tele-density is around 0,1%.
Access to telecommunications has a great impact on economic and social development, as has been the case in countries such as India, Malaysia and Brazil.
Today you will be asked to approve the appropriation of R15 million, which will allow us to take a significant step in changing the lives of ordinary people in our country. There are some quarters who would dispute this but they are obviously among those who have benefited from the apartheid legacy which saw white homes and business in urban areas achieve almost a one to two tele-density ratio and left black areas and rural areas bereft of a communications lifeline.
The 1996 Telecommunications Act established two funds - the Human Resources Development Fund and the Universal Service Fund.
HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT FUND
Prior to 1996, there was no focused effort on the part of government to encourage the development of engineers, technicians, software developers and other skills needed in our telecommunications industry. The Human Resources Development Fund changes this and will eventually see more than 500 students annually graduating in information technology, telecommunications and engineering, so building a base for the development of world class specialists.
All the programmes we have established in terms of the Human Resources Development Fund will be operational by the end of March this year, and include:
20 students studying a post graduate diploma in international telecommunications at UNISA;
15 students doing a five month undergraduate certificate in Telecommunications Regulatory Policy at Wits University and 20 officials from the Department of Communications to attend a telecommunications seminar in project management; 30 students doing a post-graduate diploma in International communications at Fort Hare University ;
establishing a chair for Telecommunications Engineering at the Eastern Cape Technikon;
30 teachers participating the School Awareness Project at Wits and UNISA; 60 post-graduate students - 50% of whom are women - attending Houwteq to study software engineering;
establishing of 20 Internet laboratories at formerly disadvantaged universities to allow students to become familiar with the Internet and to lean software applications and engineering; and
6 honour students - of which four are women - doing post-graduate research in telecommunications software and internet applications at the University of the North.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND
The Universal Service Agency was established as a statutory body by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Its main function is to promote universal access to telecommunications for everyone in South Africa. This can be simply defined as having access to a telephone within 30 minutes of travelling.
With the geographical spread of rural communities, servicing each one individually will cost more than this government could afford. But by setting up Tele-centres we are able to bring telecommunications into the heart of our villages and towns. The goal is to have established thousands of tele-centres country-wide within five years.
Tele-centres are multi-purpose centres, which will offer services such as telephony, printing, faxing, photocopying and computer services (including the Internet). In addition, is it envisaged tele-centres could offer small business support, distance education, tele-medicine and service as points for distribution of local government information on health, pensions and education. They can be stand-alone centres or run with existing structures such as libraries, schools. post offices, churches, arts centres or small businesses.
Next months (March ) the first tele-centre will be opened in Ellisrus in the Northern Province, followed in April by the opening of tele-centres in Ndevana in the Eastern Cape, Winterveldt in the North West, Thaba Nchu in the Free State, Kimberley in the Northern Cape and KwaMshele in KwaZulu Natal.
The Universal Service Fund provides for the payment of subsidies for the establishment of tele-centres and for the use of such services by the poorest people, thus guaranteeing universal access to telecommunications.
FINANCING THE FUNDS
I must point out that government is not the sole provider of money for these two Funds. Holders of licences in terms of the Telecommunications Act are also required to contribute to these funds by means of a payment in addition to their licence fees and contributions to the respective funds may also accrue from other sources, such as donations for example.
In closing, I would like to reiterate the fact that access to telecommunications services such as telephones and the Internet is not just a luxury for the well-to- do. It is the catalyst which will leap-frog our rural communities into the 21st Century.
By using the latest technologies, government can service its people in a more efficient and affordable manner.
So I would ask you to support the Additional Post Office Appropriation Bill.
Thank you.