Internet access is a powerful equaliser, yet many low-income township households cannot afford its costs. That is why organisations such as Entelek are pioneering initiatives by connecting their communities to free Wi-Fi connections.
Telecommunications companies' exorbitant prices continue to widen the digital divide. To reduce data costs, the #DataMustFall movement has called upon them to lower data charges.
1. Accessibility
Accessing internet is essential to closing South Africa's digital divide; however, it must also be accessible and inclusive of those from disadvantaged communities.
At present, the cost of purchasing one gigabyte (GB) of mobile data bundle is too costly for millions of South Africans. According to ICT Africa research, 1GB costs the poorest 20% more than 14% of their monthly income to buy.
Entelek has taken this into account and is working towards providing internet access in many South African townships through WiFi technology. They enable residents in Philippi community to utilize 500MB daily free Wi-Fi outside Teguka Business Park so that they may work, apply for jobs online and access education online free of charge; saving them an estimated R100 million in data costs over time.
2. Cost
South Africans in need cannot always afford the data fees required to access the internet via mobile phones - often their sole means. A gigabyte of pre-paid data costs just a small portion or even percentage of income for more affluent users but is out of reach for many poor people, thus necessitating free public Wi-Fi networks as a solution.
After Access's recent survey revealed that price-sensitive users supplement their low-denomination data bundles with free public wifi points in places like Stellenbosch. This phenomenon is already happening en masse.
South African households living in poverty have been urged to subsidise the cost of data. But the government could also help by cutting operating costs for data networks in poor areas where most Internet use occurs - an effort which would ease strains on data networks and facilitate faster speeds, particularly after two malfunctioning subsea cables caused weeks-long speed reductions during COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Security
South African ISPs invest heavily in providing reliable networks that are free from lag and buffering, enabling users to stream or download content without compromising speed or performance.
Even though urban centers may have high Internet penetration rates, millions of rural people don't have reliable broadband Internet service and this digital divide limits the market potential of global digital service providers and e-commerce platforms operating within India.
Subsidised data may be an effective means to expand Internet use, but should not be seen as the only strategy to bring down costs in our nation. Our research revealed that individuals taking advantage of free Wi-Fi weren't just watching cat videos online but using it for job searching, student assignments and information inquiries as well.
4. Usage
With low-denomination data bundles costing as much as 2% of poor South Africans' monthly incomes, the 'poverty premium' is becoming ever more evident. Many price-sensitive users therefore supplement their mobile phone data usage with free public Wi-Fi in townships and urban areas in order to save costs.
Tshwane and Cape Town have already implemented free Wi-Fi access in certain parts of their cities, while companies and local governments are exploring expanding affordable internet access nationwide - leading to innovation, increasing digital literacy levels, and creating economic opportunities.
South Africa has recognized access to the internet as a basic need and prioritized connecting all its citizens online. While the National Broadband Plan represents an important step, reaching all South Africans will require significant infrastructure investment and public-private partnerships. To expedite this process, South Africa should embrace #DataMustFall movement to provide affordable broadband access in every community across South Africa.