Define broadband speed, sector urges
November 19, 2009
By Thabiso Mochiko
THE telecoms industry has urged the Department of Communications to define broadband by including a minimum speed to ensure that internet network providers comply and extend the same level of service to rural areas.
The department said yesterday it was finding it difficult to define broadband by including a speed threshold given the disparities in the market.
In September the department published its broadband policy. This document seeks to increase broadband access and usage countrywide, define the roles of government-owned entities, and assess the costs of providing the service, as well as the prices charged for it.
According to the department, broadband is a broadly used term and the speed at which a network connection is deemed to be broadband has different interpretations locally and internationally.
The International Telecommunications Union has defined broadband as a speed of between 1.5 megabits and 2 megabits per second (Mbps).
But in South Africa the department proposed to define it as an always available, multimedia-capable connection.
Delegates attending the department's broadband policy colloquium yesterday urged the department to clearly define broadband, especially its speed.
Speaking at the colloquium, Rosey Sekese, the deputy director-general at the Department of Communications, said it was difficult to put a number on broadband speed because of the disparities in the market as not all areas already had the necessary infrastructure. In some areas the department could define a minimum speed.
She said: "Some areas don't have the infrastructure, and as we consider defining the minimum speed, we should also strike a balance.
"We don't want a policy that will be difficult to implement," she added, noting that other factors to consider included the services that would be provided by the industry players in those markets.
The Communications Workers Union said that a capacity of 4 Mbps would assist the government and the industry to achieve their objectives.
Anneke Grond, the department's chief director for information and communication technology infrastructure and applications, said another factor it was considering was whether to have different definitions for basic and commercial broadband.
However, the industry urged the department not to separate the two, as that would further increase the digital divide.
According to the department, only 1 percent of individuals aged 16 and older with a monthly household income of up to R799 have access to broadband. At least 38 percent of those with household income of R20 000 and above have access to broadband at home.
The policy document says that broadband penetration in South Africa is low due to a lack of telecoms infrastructure and the high cost of existing services.
South Africa has just more than 1 million broadband connections, which is a 2 percent penetration rate. The global average broadband penetration rate stands at 22.4 percent.
"There is an immense opportunity to increase (broadband) penetration. Unless we come up with clear strategy, that 1 percent will remain the same," said Sekese.
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