A City of Cape Town initiative, the Mobile Smart Cape Access Unit holds eight computers which will provide 45-minute periods of internet access to anyone needing it.
The City initiated the mobile unit, following the success of its Smart Cape Access Project's free internet access at public libraries across the city. The unit cost the City less than R1 million and will have low operational costs because of project partners like Vodacom that will sponsor connectivity.
Mymoena Sharif, manager of E-governance for the City, said the library project was designed to give communities access to the Net and currently has about 60 000 users at nearly 100 libraries.
"We wanted to ensure that, as far as possible, all citizens of Cape Town have access to basic computing infrastructure and the internet," said Sharif.
"The mobile Smart Cape Access Unit further empowers the citizens of the City of Cape Town to use ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to prepare CVs, find employment, improve business practices, complete school projects or run owner-managed businesses, computer literacy and online content creation, among other things."
She said the integrated unit would also promote computer literacy training, the creation of content which would make the city part of the online community, and provide support services to assist first-time users.
Sharif said an operation schedule would be available at the end of next month.
The City intended launching additional trucks after assessing the pilot truck's success, she said.
Autor: Fouzia Van Der Fort
Quelle: AllAfrica, 31.03.2006
