The South African Broadband Forum kicked off in Johannesburg this morning, aiming to facilitate affordable broadband and ICT access to local consumers.
The aims of the SA Broadband Forum include maximizing the rollout of fibre and wireless broadband infrastructure, stimulate the provision of local content, enhance e-government and e-citizenship, stimulate the adoption and use of advanced broadband connections and the implementation of a national broadband strategy.
However, by the 1990s, South Korea had turned this situation around and succeeded in becoming an “information society” as well as a major innovator and exporter of communications technology, said Cheung. Today Korea has one of the best-developed e-government infrastructures in the world.
Read more: South Africa can learn from South Korean strategies
Speaking at the two-day ITWeb eGovernment conference at Emperor's Palace, Mtimunye said the challenge to realise the full potential of e-government, aligned with the circumstances and priorities of the country, will not be met until understanding and responding to the needs of citizens is made the top priority.
Read more: South Africa: Customer-centric approach crucial in e-gov
In 2008, SA was ranked a respectable 39th in global e-readiness by the respected Economist Intelligence Unit, but what does that really say about the state of SA's ICT infrastructure, not to mention the ability of its citizens, businesses and governments to use ICT benefits?
Speaking at ITWeb's e-government conference in Johannesburg this week, Mtimunye warned that initiatives around e-government are still “perched awkwardly between its patchy performance and its persistent promise”.