Internet access will connect our schools to the digital age
Digital technology used to be the domain of Star Trek movies and annoying dinner party guests.
But in less than a generation it has become part of our daily lives.
Digital tech now helps catch criminals, fly airplanes, buy groceries, watch TV, and do business deals.
This is why news of Starlink’s South African investment plans are generating huge interest and enthusiasm across the board, from education stakeholders who say bandwidth can provide vital tools and information, to maritime rescue officials who say Starlink coverage will ultimately save lives.
The Internet is also central to efforts to grow the regional economy, with the City of Cape Town one of multiple stakeholders rolling out Data that connects people to opportunities, particularly the youth at a time of huge youth unemployment.
Starlink, the satellite service owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been notably absent from South Africa due to Musk’s outspoken criticism of South Africa’s black economic empowerment legislation. However, the proposed equity equivalent alternative for the ICT sector has opened a door for a wave of much-needed investment in digital infrastructure.
A case in point is the potential positive impact on rural education where many schools have underqualified teachers and too few resources. Starlink intends investing R500-million to connect 5 000 schools to broadband Wi-Fi, including huge investment in hardware.
This would open the proverbial fountain of knowledge for tens of thousands of pupils currently marooned in a digital desert.
Children from schools without internet bandwidth can go through their entire school career without knowing how to search with Google, an educational handicap that precludes access to most jobs and professional services, at a time when jobs in manufacturing and agriculture are in decline.
Access to proper bandwidth would therefore be a massive breakthrough for the rural schools, because it means the kids will at least have a chance.
It’s a potential gamechanger made possible by bold leadership, notably Communications Minister Solly Malatsi who has had to weather criticism from those who accused government of special favours for powerful individuals.
The truth is South Africa cannot afford to be left behind in a digital revolution that could prove fundamental to our economic prospects. By getting bandwidth to the right places, we can unearth the talent we need to prosper.
John Lawson
CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry