Sustainable Access to Information
Details of the organization
Name *
BrightWave
Country *
South Africa
Website (URL)
http://www.brightwave.co.za
Type *
Others
Information about the project
Project title *
Sustainable Access to Information
Title acronym
Digital Divide
Description *
Social enterprise BrightWave comes into this equation by offering citizens Free Wi-Fi access, while simultaneously connecting schools, municipalities and primary health care clinics to the internet. The hotspots are in areas already frequented by the community – clinics, hospitals, spaza shops, malls, shopping centre, schools, municipal buildings etc. allowing the community internet access while standing in queues for other services. On the unemployment front alone, the difference is huge: unemployed youth in tin shacks can search for and apply for jobs, conduct job interviews via Skype – and are being employed. BrightWave has, over the last two years, installed over 1100 Wi-Fi hotspots offering citizens 300MB of free daily internet access to communities in three municipalities: Soweto, Mthatha and Newcastle. We believe in Broadband for all, we’re pushing this agenda.
Project website
http://www.brightwave.co.za
Geographical coverage *
Regional implementation
Regions of implementation
Africa
Status *
Ongoing
from 03/02/2014
to
01/01/2020
Partners
Microsoft Corporation USAASA - Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa
WSIS information
WSIS action lines related to this project
*
Information and communication infrastructure
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to this project
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Project type *
Project
Programme
information and communication technology (ICT)
