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EC Act Objectives:

•1Promote the universal provision of electronic communication networks and

electronic service and connectivity for all.

•2Promote the empowerment of historically disadvantaged persons, including Black

people, with particular attention to the needs of women, opportunities for youth and

challenges for people with disabilities.

•3Prescribe terms and conditions on any universal access and universal service

obligation1Electronic Communication Act No.36 of 2005, section 2(c)

2Electronic Communication Act No.36 of 2005, section 2(h)

3Electronic Communication Act No.36 of 2005, section 8(2)(g) 2

ICASA Process:

•Licence entities/companies to provide electronic communication services.

•In doing so impose terms and condition in return of issuance/granting of licence,

these terms and conditions would include:

– Universal access and universal service obligations

– Generally are of social nature in the main meant to benefit targeted

communities i.e. schools (schools connectivity), public institutions,

underserved and underserviced areas

– To expand the reach of services i.e. network service including infrastructure

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ICASA Process:•Four Operators have had their schools connectivity obligation finalised:

– Cell C, Vodacom, MTN and Neotel Sentech and WBS will be finalised in this

financial year

– The commencement date for implementation is 1st April 2014

– Operators are required to complete implementation within 5 years (they can

complete in less time if they are capable)

– Failure to complete within 5 years carries a hefty penalty

•Cell C, Vodacom & MTN have total combined schools of 4 500 each operator has 1

500 schools

•Neotel has a total of 750 schools

Note: the figure is inclusive of institutions of people with disabilities

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Schools Connectivity:

•To provide schools deemed not in a position to afford internet access in the

commercial market

•For the purpose of teaching and learning

•To increase the knowledge base accessibility to wider recourses within the learning

environment

•To widen the scope of imagination of learners by interaction with a wider population

by way of communication via social platforms, e-mails etc

•In the main to enhance the educational process for our learners

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Schools Connectivity:

•Each school will have the following:

– 25 computers for learners (i.e. tablets, PADs, Desk tops or Laptop based on

what the operator sources) & 1 Printer

– 1 computer for the Educator & 1 computer for administrative purposes

– All computers will be connected on LAN within the school and all computers

will have access to the internet

– All LAN within the school will be connected to DBE portal for content access

and any other

– Mostly these would be housed in trolleys each time a class wants to use the

computers they will wheeled into the class

– Each trolley will have power for charging can be locked and be securely stored

in a strong room for safe keep hence no need for dedicated classroom

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Schools Connectivity:

•Special needs schools will have the following:

– Same number of computers or depending on the number of learners

– 1 computer for the Educator & 1 computer for administrative purposes

– 1 Printer

– All computers will be connected to a LAN within the school and all computers

will have access to the internet

– All LAN within the school will be connected to DBE portal for content access

and any other

•The computers will be specific to the needs of the students hence the computers will

adoptable to suit the disability i.e. brail keys for the blind, printer that can print in

brail, special keypads, joy sticks etc.NB: The trolley system will also be used

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Schools Connectivity:Activities to date

•Each operator has been allocated total of approx. 1 100 schools each to connect

•The schools are from the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, Free

State, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape as priority provinces

•Each province has a designated project coordinator to work with operators from DBE

•Operators have since commenced implementing the schools connectivity

•Some operators have commenced implementation as of 1st September 2014

•More schools will be provided each year by the DBE, these are schools with buildings

to securely store and implement the project

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Schools Connectivity:Activities to date

•On average each operator will be spending in the region of R150 000* – R180 000*

per school

•By end of April 2015 ICASA will be in position to share the total number of schools

connected

•Some operators are eager to complete the implementation within a shorter

timeframe i.e. in less than five years

*operator estimates

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Schools Connectivity:Future Activities

•At present ICASA is working with DHET in order to:

– Find their specific needs/requirements for FET

– Process will be finalised by December 2014

•In order to have the remainder of the schools in the country connected ICASA will be

imposing obligations on other licence holders thus to increase the number of schools

from 5 250 currently.

•There are approx. 400* operators in the market that ICASA can impose obligation

*currently operational meaning providing licensed services10

Schools Connectivity:Future Activities

•The obligation will include focus on public health institutions and other services in

underserved and underserviced areas.

•Internet is to impose obligations on the rest of Licence Holders currently providing

communications services

•The current proposed obligations are:– Schools connectivity;– Public Health institutions– Provision of containers that will have computer for access to internet and phones for

voice service in underserved & underserviced areas

continued

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Schools Connectivity:Future Activities

•Schools connectivity;

– Will be done under the same basis as currently being implemented

– Currently a total of 5 250 schools will be connected within 5 years at no less than 1 050

schools per year

– There is a total of approx. 26 000 public schools in the country, hence a remainder of 20

750 need to be provided the same facilities

– Schools with no computers , in underserved and underserviced areas all will be

prioritized

– ICASA has approx. 400 entities operational with only less than 6 with obligations, hence

the remainder of the entities will be allocated schools to connect

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Schools Connectivity:Future Activities

•The process of implementing the stated above is currently an on-going process.

•The Authority target completing the process by March 2015

•Licence holders will be expected to commence roll-out in 2015 or at least preparation

for roll-out.

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