TO LIMIT HILL
YOU’RE WELCOME MINISTER, NOW AZISHE!
With just a month into his new role as Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi must brace himself for a bumpy march towards turning around the industry that has been disconnected by negativity and resistance from anti-productive and unprogressive sceptics.
But I believe Malatsi, young as he is, and with his vast experience within the communication sector, is most suited to bridge the digital divide that has ravaged this country. South Africa is faced with a serious gap between populations at different socio-economic levels with respect to access to internet connection, with many having little to no communication technologies in general to enhance their livelihood and catch up with the rest of the world.
We at Evotel, an open access fibre network operator, are marching ahead in transforming populations across the country with cuttingedge speed and reliability on the best rated fibre network in the country. The government’s support towards educating people about the importance of internet is all that the country needs – Minister Malatsi is best suited to look after the transformation, and it all starts with FNOs.
South Africans have had false leads previously where the country lived in hope that government will roll out free internet across the country, but it all went so slow it didn’t seem it was happening. Previous Ministers of Communication and Digital Technology –Mondli Gungubele, Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri , Pallo Jordan and Jay Naidoo – tried to change the mindset, but indications are that Africa was never ready to stomach a paperless country, and go fully digital in the past decade.
At this point, only Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is driving the narrative home with all his inventions that will surely rely on internet connection, and Evotel is ready to support his vision and meet his ambitions. We’ve watched with keen interest as Ministers presided over the death spiral in information communication technology (ICT) policies, but now the big boys of fibre internet have landed, and we’re ready to change Mzansi.
Evotel has trenches across all provinces in the country – North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape – and we have ambitions of making inroads in some areas across Western Cape, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape.
A perfect example that access to fibre internet isn’t for the elite group anymore could be seen when over 18 000 000 people applied for government’s R350 grant online. It was a serious logistical nightmare as many had to rely on the parastatal Post Office to submit their applications.
Now, government is working on transforming all grants digitally by using face identification logins and biometrics to gain access to their online accounts when amending their details.
This is noteworthy because the Post Office is under serious challenges and now all grant recipients will be forced to seek alternatives in internet café’s to update their details.
You see now that the net is widening and the previously disadvantaged are being caught up by the transformation. This is why we needed a Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies who would be proactive in rolling out programs that would enhance the spread of connection.
In our next edition, we will work overtime to bring you Minister Malatsi to shed light on his plans to transform the country into a digital country and take the lead in Africa.
We all need to hit the ground running in pursuit of improving our lives.
The rising interest in fibre within smaller communities!
She’s not just wearing a genuine happy smiling face, but her heart too complements the hard work she puts on daily to service clients.
If you’re a resident of Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, then the name Sylandra Simons must ring a bell – a connected active member of the society.
And Evotel, South Africa’s fastest Fibre Network Operator (FNO) with hordes of clients around Ennerdale, have a gem in the delectable Sylandra who has been a hard worker for the brand, including Lenasia South where she’s classed as CHAMPION of champions.
Spending time with Evolution, Sylandra opened up her heart to chat about her journey, and isn’t shy to reveal that she’s making people happy, daily!
She’s indicated that Internet Service Provider (ISP) companies operating across the Ennerdale area are waxing lyrical about the Evotel infrastructure and fibre internet lines, and she’s added that it works marvellously well.
“The network is very strong,” she indicated. “Clients want to hold on to the Evotel network forever because it doesn’t even buffer during loadshedding for those with UPS (uninterrupted power supply), or even on bad weather, including rains and thunderstorms.
“In December last year (2023), we had heavy rains, and the feedback I received from our clients was positive as they never missed anything on the internet. Mine is just to continue servicing clients, especially on a reliable network.
“As champions, our job is to serve our clients very well, and there’s nothing more disappointing like working for a network operator with inconsistent internet supply.
I am here to serve the clients, and the more happy client we have, the more we will get.
“I recommend Evotel at any day and would vouch that it’s the fastest ever south of the continent. Clients don’t mind paying, but only for a good service.”
Flanked by her supportive husband, Sylandra said she is looking forward to carrying on being Evotel’s forever winning champion, and continue leading a team of motivated and dedicated team.
Evotel does not only link up clients to the internet but brings about job creation, which ultimately contributes towards the digital economy for local businesses, students, non-government organisations and government schools who benefit with free connection for selected institutions.
NO LIMIT TO LIMIT HILL STUDENTS!
There’s
no mountain big enough to limit Ladysmith’s awesome learners
Evotel-sponsored Limit Hill Combined School in Ladysmith is standing proud after four of their learners qualified for the national finals of the Department of Basic Education Robotics and Coding competition to be held in Gqeberha in September, 2024.
The amazing foursome en route to Gqeberha comprise of Shaylyn George, Ikusaselihle Mvelase, Mahek Bajwa and Silondiwe Makhombothi who invented a robot that will alert EMS and police in case there’s flooding dangers that may hit the town during heavy rains.
In fact, the school, among 10 others across the country, came second with their project behind their KZN compatriots, Amazizi Senior Secondary School, after Ntapane Junior Secondary of Eastern Cape were eliminated after finishing third.
According to Dr. Nezar A. Eldidy’s thesis about Ladysmith flooding, which appeared in the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa, flooding has been recurring in the Vryheid area for the past 170 years “due to its peculiar location in the uThukela catchment, in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains”.
“During 1987 and 1988, Ladysmith was flooded on three separate occasions and extensive damage was caused to residences and businesses. The worst flooding in 30 years occurred in 1996 leading to R500 million in damages and the evacuation of 400 families.
“Efforts to tame the river and manage the flooding have been going on since the 1940s. Subsequently, several solutions were put forward, including the relocation of residents, improved flood warning systems, channel improvement using levees, and the construction of a flood attenuation dam,” wrote Dr Eldidy.
He indicated that during times of danger, the water gradually “rises behind Qedusizi dam and the supply from the dam increases, raising the level of Klip River water”.
“At peak supply, the water level can reach up to 9m heights in the river, and the water backflows through the drainage system,” he wrote.
But indications are that the youth of Limit Hill could be cooking up a storm, which could save the Vryheid area from these threats.
Gerard Fynn, Limit Hill’s Head of Department (HOD) for Senior Phase, has thrown his weight behind the learners, but couldn’t stop heaping praise on Evotel who came to their rescue by enhancing their access to the internet.
“This robot to be created by our learners will be designed to signal an alert to the protection services, Emergency Medical Services and the police around our area to let people know that there’s danger coming, and everyone must evacuate,” said Fynn.
“They will be installed under multiple bridges in the Limit Hill area, and when the water reaches a certain level, it will then send signal to the police and EMS. The robotics and coding classes are critical for the advancement of the school to be in line with the transformation to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).”
The school’s Robotics and Coding teacher, Sir Kevolin Chetty, said they have already been given the barebones of the robots and everything they want to create their masterpiece.
The Limit Hill learners, through the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), were given a task, or a scenario in their area, and they need to identify a possible solution.
“So, the robot will have sensors that will measure the water level and, if it has gone past the required measurement, it will send a GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) alert to authorities to let endangered people evacuate the area,” explained Chetty.
“Everything is automated and eliminates human interaction, until the signal is sent. It goes straight to authorities. It was sad that people’s houses were washed away during floods. The learners have been trained on how to present the project.”
With Evotel’s internet, the school uses it to gain access to more e-books through Snapplify, an application that offers free school books for learners, and Fynn said they desperately want those books for learners in their computer room to enhance such creative initiatives.
“We are a quintile Level-4 school where parents pay R2000 annual school fee, and the kids get free stationery,” said Fynn, as he appreciates Evotel’s good gesture, which is in line with the Department of Basic Education’s future plans.
“Had it not been for Evotel, we wouldn’t be able to afford most of these luxuries that will help us compete with other schools. At the moment, we’re using a government supplied system that covers computer and maths basics. If we may have a fullon functional computer room then we would create miracles with the help of Robotics and Coding teacher, Sir Kevolin Chetty.
“We are enjoying the service of Evotel. At first, we were told that we would be given free internet for the year, but Jonathan (de Lange) from Evotel told us that we were connected forever. All our telephones lines, computers, recording system, SA SAMS and printers are on Evotel. We need to implement everything using internet. Connectivity will assist us reach our objective and hopes for 100% pass rate.”
School principal, Mosawenkosi Mbhense, says their lives as educators have been simplified by free internet as they can now access the SA Management System (SAMA) easily, which teachers use for meetings, office administration, recording learners’ marks, and all this is linked to the department.
Evotel, the fibre network operator, is proud to be the sole free internet sponsor of the school and wishes them well in Gqeberha in September.
E S S E N T I A L S
OUR SECRET TO YOUR CONNECTION!
In this edition, we focus on understanding devices used on the Evotel network.
Depending on the Internet Service Provider (ISP) you choose, you will need one or two devices installed in your home to make use of the fibre internet – ONT and Router. Let’s learn more about the differences between these devices.
What is an ONT (Optical Network Terminal)?
An ONT is a device that converts optical signals from the fibre network into electrical signals that your home devices can use. It essentially bridges the gap between the external fibre infrastructure and your internal network. Typically, an ONT is a white box with ports for connecting fibre optic cables and ethernet cables. It may have indicator lights and possibly an antenna for wireless connectivity if it supports Wi-Fi functionality.
What is a router?
Once the ONT has converted the fibre optic signal to an electrical signal, the router takes this signal and manages its distribution within your home network. It acts as a central hub for your devices to connect to the internet. The router also serves as a gateway to the internet, managing the traffic between your devices and the wider internet network.
What is a Layer 3 Configuration?
Some ISPs may offer Layer 3 configuration options, where the ONT can be configured to handle routing functions traditionally managed by a separate router. This setup can simplify the home network setup, as the ONT effectively acts as both the interface to the fibre network and the gateway to the internet.
This also leads to faster activation times as the client doesn’t need to wait for the delivery of a second device. In summary, on the Evotel network, the ONT serves as the initial point of connection between your home and the fiber optic network, converting optical signals to electrical signals.
The router then manages local network traffic and provides access to the internet, either as a separate device or potentially integrated with the ONT depending on the ISP’s service configuration. Understanding these roles helps in setting up and troubleshooting your home fibre internet connection effectively.
African Ministers adopting AI strategies.
South Africans must accept the reality that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is with us to stay in Africa. And with some innovations thrown into the mix it’s safe to estimate the next century will cause big changes in many industries as this technology integrates into our lives more and more.
There have been snippets of hope that emerged this year with leaders within the global African diaspora acknowledging that the continent must ready itself for what would be challenging days ahead.
In May this year, then Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, current Deputy Minister in the seventh administration, launched the fourth hub of the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa (AIISA), based in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
The AIISA was established in November 2022 to promote the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills and research capabilities in response to socio-economic challenges.
It has been indicated that a datacentric focus would be the first hurdle to jump over for the continent to be compatible and in line with the vision the rest of the world shares.
With Evotel infiltrating lower income areas and more affluent suburbs across South Africa alike, we may be the solution to kickstarting the government’s plan to create a common African stance on AI and developing the continent’s AI building framework by establishing the intelligence’s think-tank.
In most cases, South Africa’s lower-income earners are normally last to receive such critical developmental infrastructure, but we have been proactive in ensuring previously disadvantaged South Africans have access to internet infrastructure and can get to understand what AI is about, research on their own and test it.
Gungubele indicated through the Department’s statement that his expectation is that after his launch of the AI think-tank, South Africa would have a clear way forward towards leveraging this cutting edge technology to resolve some of Mzansi’s economic and social challenges.
“I also expect that there will be provincial seminars undertaken to further seek inputs during the public comments process before we finalise the draft national AI Policy as a guiding policy document,” he told delegates. “I would like to point out that with the right mix of policies, Africa and its citizens can reap the benefits of AI in years to come.”
In 2019, African Union (AU) Ministers responsible for Communications and Information Communication Technology’s (ICT) adopted the Sharm El Sheikh Declaration wherein there was an agreement on establishing a Working Group on AI.
“As South Africa, through South Africa’s Presidential Report on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), we also identified AI as one of the key areas for the Africa 4IR Strategy and look forward to collaborating with all of you in our midst,” added Gungubele in a statement.
“Noting these, I therefore impress upon cloud companies such as Microsoft, Google, Huawei, Nokia, and Amazon Web Services, amongst others, to continue establishing AI research centres in Africa.
“Secondly, we need universities in South Africa and Africa to consider that the best approach to AI is collaboration.
“As the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies in the Republic of South Africa, we have adopted an all-inclusive approach, which is at the heart of our shared response to addressing the digital transformation era.
“For Africa to be competitive in the world, we needed to realise that there was a space race, then the arms race and now the AI race. We cannot afford to be left behind on this one.”
Internet speed and data value price will play a critical role in changing lives of ordinary South Africans who are unable to cope with high rates to get access to once often spoken of 5G Wi-Fi.
AI in Africa!
Evotel, works alongside the best Internet Service Providers (ISP) – VOX, Session Telecoms, Supersonic, Rocket Net, RSA Web, PresConnect, Open Link Communication, Octopi Smart Solutions, Net Nine Nine and more – across the country to provide nothing but the best service.
To institutionalise open AI, explicit regulations related to the following six important points must be put in place in relation to the development of continental and national AI Policies and Programmes:
- Data-centric approaches linked to a developmental agenda.
- People before Technology as a centre.
- AI for economic and growth prospects.
- Multi-stakeholder approach centred on Public Private Partnership Model.
- Governance and Regulatory AI Framework
- Institutional mechanisms located within localised agencies
“We must as a continent recognise that increased availability of digitised data in the global economy, unlimited access to computing power and lower data storage costs are important in driving the growth of AI globally,” said Gungubele.
“I am happy to announce that an AI Expert Advisory Council will be appointed and will comprise a group of eminent persons that will guide government towards the implementation and development of AI policy and Regulation amongst other matters.”
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) called for the “AI for Good” approach that must still be adopted by the member-states.
SUPPORT SUPERSTAR OF THE MONTH
Alisha’s ‘sponge and water’ analogy keeps her focussed
She had to leave school to start working in order to make ends meet, and little did she know that she would at some point of her career be chosen as Evolution’s Superstar of the Month.
Now in her third job of her working experience, Alisha Rajmoney, Evotel’s Customer Care Coordinator, has performed beyond expectation hence she’s our proud champion of the July 2024 month.
What separates her from her peers, Rajmoney is bringing joy to our clients with her quick response to maintenance and client issues within the allocated 72-hours turnaround time.
How does she do it: “It comes to me naturally. I like to make people happy This is how I was raised, to help people. I firstly look into the personality and familiarise myself with all our clients. I normally put myself in their shoes, hence all the success and my friendliness.”
She, on a normal day, handles about 30 tickets (complaints and ensures that she leaves everyone rating her highly, which turns negative situations into positive ratings on Hellopeter.)
Out of an estimated 100 daily cases, Rajmoney challenges herself to be done with the rest of those allotted to her within a four-day turnaround time.
“The longest for me was four days, and that is because it was a difficult case and considering the troubleshooting,” explained the 24-year-old from Midrand who originally hails from Benoni.
“I just love my job. I’m very passionate and ready to deal with difficult situations – firstly offering an apology.” However, it’s not all happy faces everyday: “I’ve once had an irate and difficult client who was very aggressive, but I managed to calm him down. But on the back of it, I was left close to tears, and good to say it ended with tears of joy.”
She rates working for Evotel highly compared to her previous employers and regards her relationship with the team as a “sponge and water” kind of teamwork.
“They are the water and I’m the sponge – absorbing knowledge from them. I’m always eager to learn and they’re very influential in my drive towards success. I believe in hard work and the recognition will come later. I’m one of the sharpest when it comes to learning. I am thankful to my team, we have each other’s back,” said the cucumber-cool Rajmoney.
Teaming up for Madiba
Warming Hearts & Homes
TEAMING UP FOR MADIBA
This year for Mandela Day Evotel has entered a partnership with Newcastle Medicross to assist in an incredible initiative to support the less fortunate. Together with the public donation we plan to donate over 1000 blankets as part of our tradition of contributing towards enhancing the lives of the less fortunate. Evotel, South Africa’s best rated Fibre Network Operator (FNO) on Hellopeter, will team-up with Mediclinic Newcastle this year to assist with the collection, donation and distribution of the blankets. We hope that the blankets will help keep the homeless a little warmer this winter. Evotel embarks on this blanket drive as part of the 67 minutes for Nelson Mandela Day initiative taking part in the handover on the 18th of July 2024.
COMMITTED TO THE NEEDY
If you don’t know who Evotel is, we’re a Fibre to the Home Network Operator (FNO) that has built its fibre network infrastructure throughout many towns and cities in SA. Our infrastructure lives and is maintained within these areas making it impossible for us to ignore the daily challenges the less fortunate in these communities face every day. When we were invited to take part in the blanket drive in Newcastle we jumped at the chance to help,and loved the idea of helping spread a little warmth this Mandela Day during one of the coldest winters we have had to face in a few years.
The concept of donating 1000 blankets is no small task and it could not be done alone, but we were able to secure 100 brand new high quality blankets to assist in this impressive campaign
Our hope is that alongside another 900 blankets donated by Mediclinic and other partnered companies and public donations we can make a positive difference in the lives of the homeless and underprivileged in 2024. Remembering back to 1994 we believe that Madiba himself would give us the thumbs up for this initiative and the many others like it taking place all over the country this July.
67-MINUTES
FOR NELSON
Blankets are essential for providing warmth and comfort to individuals experiencing homelessness or facing other difficult circumstances, especially during the winter months. Before his death in 2013 at the age of 95, President Nelson Mandela left South Africans the responsibility of ensuring that his dream of a truly equal rainbow nation is accomplished in his absence. Tasked with taking care of his beloved country and the people who live in it, we have focused our efforts on the most vulnerable and underprivileged. We believe that by volunteering for the 67 minutes on the 18 July, we are helping accomplish Madiba’s dream, but we also believe that this is a daily commitment rather than an annual one. Let’s commit some time each day to ensuring that we can accomplish a better South Africa for all.
COLLECTION OF QUALITY BLANKETS
The 67 minutes of Mandela is a reminder of the years of struggle fought by our former president for social justice, freedom, equality and a better South Africa for all South Africans. Evotel has always played its part to contribute towards eradicating poverty and unemployment. Whether through connecting schools with free fibre, running skills upliftment programs, donating to charities, or just ensuring that South African’s are connected to a reliable and affordable internet connection. We’re doing our part to help bridge the digital divide. At Evotel we’re committed to improving the livelihoods of South Africans on Mandela Day and beyond.
THANK YOU
Evotel wasted no time in partnering with Mediclinic for this great initiative. We believe that the blankets can give the needy a sense of comfort and dignity in a time when they really need it. Evotel’s Public Relations Manager, Mathews Mpete, said: “We’re always excited to contribute towards community upliftment. And we’ re glad that the donation of blankets to the needy during these cold winter months will keep our people warm. We would like to thank Mediclinic Newcastle for roping us in on this great cause.”
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