TUESDAY, 4.00PM
A NEW Initiative to connect hundreds of SA schools to the internet over the next few years was launched in Johannesburg this week.
NetDay’97, planned for October 18, is part of a broad inititive to get schools online which evolved from a concept launched in California last year which has spread across the United States, Europe, the Far East and Australia.
The most immediate obstacle facing the scheme is the dearth of cabling infrastructure. “The lack of physical wiring infrastructure is one of the biggest obstacles to getting South African schools connected to the internet,” said Joe Tsotetsi, chairman of Motswedi Technology Group. He said the costs of laying the cabling is estimated at billions of rands. “No single government department or private organisation could afford this expense and it therefore becomes necessary to rely on broad support from the corporate sector, the education sector, communities and public volunteers,” said Tsotetsi, who is championing the NetDay cause. As NetDay’97 is a non-profit initiative, it will need support from large South African and international companies as sponsors, said Tsotetsi.
NetDay’97 already has four core partners, including Nedbank, but a recruitment drive is under way to secure the involvement of other large and medium-sized companies.
“On NetDay itself, we envisage many volunteers taking part in efforts to cable schools across the country. Those schools who do not manage to install cables on NetDay can hold open houses at which communities can discuss how they can get involved in future NetDay activities,” Tsotetsi said.