A  study is being carried out in South Africa to determine the feasibility of rolling out fixed wireless internet access to an estimated 5 million township residents.

The study will evaluate the technical options and associated costs for expanding local company Ilitha Telecommunications’ network into areas beyond the high-density township areas already connected to the internet, according to Africa Business Communities.

The United States Trade and Development Agency awarded Johannesburg-based Ilitha a grant to fund the study. It includes a pilot project in the Eastern Cape testing a solar-powered WiFi solution for townships with unreliable access to power supply.

Ilitha has appointed the Georgia-based Vernonburg Group to conduct the feasibility study, while the solar WiFi solution is supplied by Illinois-based MeshPlusPlus.

‘The demand for Ilitha’s proposition has now increased beyond the high-density township areas. To address this demand, we have had to look for high-capacity radio solutions that will help us deliver affordable, quality broadband to rural and lower density areas,’ says Ilitha CEO Vuyani Jarana.

According to Reuben Brigety II, the US Ambassador to South Africa, ‘fully connecting the country will help South Africa unleash its full economic potential and bring critical services such as education and healthcare to populations that do not currently have reliable access to them’.

25 July 2023
Image: Freepik