INTERNET NEWS

Tshwane wins global award for bridging digital divide

1 JUL 2016 | SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT |  PDF    

The City of Tshwane received international recognition by winning the World Wi-Fi Day Award for Most Innovative City or Government Program to bridge the Digital Divide, in Liverpool, England.

An award in this category recognises cities, governments and organisations that develop local and national plans to bridge the digital divide. Shortlisted projects must evidence the successful implementation of comprehensive Wi-Fi solutions which innovatively overcome the challenges and complexities associated with these large-scale deployments.

The Tshwane Free Wi-Fi has brought 1.8 million citizens in the capital city online in the biggest deployment of municipal free Wi-Fi on the African continent. The roll-out has been made possible through the city’s collaborative partnership with Project Isizwe. Together Tshwane and the South African NGO have built relationships and developed innovative and feasible financial and technical solutions to make the roll-out possible. 

The World Wi-Fi Day Awards were presented at the Wireless Global Congress currently being held in Liverpool. The awards celebrate the success stories across the world that are connecting the unconnected and contributing to global socio-economic development. The City of Tshwane, with Project Isizwe as the implementing partner, was shortlisted in this category alongside Intersection and Liquid Telecom, two internationally recognised providers in the deployment of Wi-Fi.

Internet is a human right

"Our free Wi-Fi project has radically undermined the adverse effects of unaffordable internet access by narrowing the hitherto glaring digital divide," said incumbent Tshwane Mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa. “We will continue to be a shining example of what it means to employ the use of technology to lead the way towards a South Africa that is democratic, inclusive, united and prosperous – ours will be the global cyber capital," said Ramokgopa.

“An award in this category, showcases the need for relationship building and partnership with local government in the provision of free Wi-Fi for South African citizens. Just like electricity and water, internet is a human right which we are working closely with municipalities to enable,” said Project Isizwe CEO, Zahir Khan. 

Project Isizwe was also shortlisted in the category: Best Wi-Fi Deployment to Connect the Unconnected in Rural Environment for the organisation’s Limpopo project. The prize in this category was awarded to Liquid Telecom for their free Wi-Fi project in Nakuru County, Kenya.

INTERNET NEWS

South Africa votes against internet freedom

6 JUL 2016 | SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT |  PDF    

According to a report via Fin24, South Africa has joined other nations such as China and Russia in voting against a United Nations resolution on the "promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet".

©Marc Dietrich via 123RF

The resolution was however supported by countries ranging from Australia, the US, UK, Nigeria, Senegal, and Turkey. The report reveals that the United Nations had held a vote on the resolution, which seeks to bring political commitment from member states to protect human rights online such as freedom of expression and privacy.

According to the report, the resolution additionally seeks to ensure the release of those imprisoned for the “legitimate” freedom of expression online. As revealed by the report, other key points of the resolution include investigating attacks against bloggers or other internet users, and refraining from preventing access to information online by, for example, shutting down the internet during key times such as elections or terror attacks.

Within the article, it is revealed that Russia and China requested amendments to the draft resolution to remove items such as text on freedom of expression and the shutting down of internet access. However, the amendments weren’t adopted and most countries voted for the human rights resolution, which will be adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

With the results in, as revealed by the report, nations who had voted against internet freedom have been placed in the spotlight.

Thomas Hughes, the executive director of global free press organisation Article 19 stated within the article that: “We are disappointed that democracies like South Africa, Indonesia, and India voted in favour of these hostile amendments to weaken protections for freedom of expression online.”

“A human rights-based approach to providing and expanding internet access, based on states’ existing international human rights obligations, is essential to achieving the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and no state should be seeking to slow this down,” Hughes added.

Apart from South Africa, India and Indonesia, other countries that voted in favour of the amendment and against the resolution included the likes of Kenya, Qatar, Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.