Ekurhuleni’s executive mayor Clr Mondli Gungubele has launched Ekurhuleni’s Free Wi-Fi service which will offer citizens free access to the digital world.
Although the official announcement was made last Thursday, at the Katlehong Library, the metro is well within the first phase of rolling out the Wi-Fi project.
To date, 225 municipal buildings have access to Wi-Fi and 925 hotspots – where residents and businesses can enjoy free internet access – are available.
The need for free internet access has been made evident by the 62 901 people who have used the facility to date, of which 2 900 are reported to be reaching the maximum cap of 250 mega bites per day.
“In pursuit of our vision to become the smart, creative and developmental city and in understanding the information technology era we live in, we have made it our business to ensure that our people do not get left behind,” said Gungubele during his address at the launch.
Gungubele further indicated that the Wi-Fi cap has been put in place as a monitoring tool and once the demand grows, the metro is prepared to increase the cap.
The introduction of free Wi-Fi will be an enhancement to other digital innovations such as the e-Siyakhokha tool used by residents to pay for services without leaving the comfort of their homes, and e-health services in clinics around Ekurhuleni.
The metro is also expected to launch a customer relations app in the near future.
Petros Masuku, a part time MTech student, said having free Wi-Fi at the library is extremely convenient as it assists him while conducting research.
“The success of my studies depends on the internet, for that is where I do research, communicate with my tutors and submit my assignments.
“The Ekurhuleni free Wi-Fi is more than just convenient for me as a student, but it unlocks a number of possibilities for many others,” said Masuku.
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