Johannesburg residents now have access to free WiFi which went live today. The announcement was made at Orlando Communal Hall by Johannesburg’s mayor – Parks Tau.
WiFi will be available at the following nine Rea Vaya stations: Orlando Stadium and Police Station, Soccer City, Noordgesig, Joburg Theatre, Park Station, Art Gallery, Carlton Centre and Fashion Square. In a report by myBroadband : Tau says he intends to roll-out 1,000 WiFi hotspots throughout the city before the end of the Mayoral term, in 2016.
The mayor said that the broadband network will significantly increase access through libraries to the internet including open online courses. 35 libraries will be connected by June and all 85 libraries will have free internet access by the end of 2014.
“We will train at least 1,000 students a year in the City’s ICT operations who will then work within communities to introduce the latest technology and ensure that the benefits of our broadband network are experienced by residents,” Tau said.
He said that the city is working on a partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand in respect of the Tshimologong Precincts in Braamfontein, focusing on IT innovation and SMME incubation. “Together with our partners we will soon launch our own Joburg Hackathon,” he said.
