Wi-Fi hotspots in Kraaifontein and Scottsdene Libraries boost digital inclusivity

23 June 2016

The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services and Compliance, Councillor Xanthea Limberg, unveiled the City’s latest free Wi-Fi offering on Wednesday, 22 June 2016 with hotspots situated at the Scottsdene and Kraaifontein Libraries. The testing of the Wi-Fi hotspots went off without any technical glitches and both were given a resounding thumbs-up. This latest offering is in addition to the free internet available through the SmartCape facility.

Connecting young and old to online resources

‘Our commitment, during our term of office, was to provide quality facilities and to connect residents to learning resources. An investment in the education of our children is one of the greatest investments in future of our country. By providing access to quality learning materials and other resources, we are placing young and old on a path to success. The City’s libraries attract a large number of patrons of all ages who are in search of general information or want to browse online news, connect to social media, conduct research, search for employment opportunities or access other services,’ said Councillor Limberg.

Daily data access limits

Library users who access the internet via the Wi-Fi hotspot are urged to take note of the terms and conditions when registering for the free service, including that a person will receive a limit of 500 MB of data per month and that there will be a daily time limit.

‘Because this is a free service, we need to limit the time allocated per person to ensure that as many people as possible and new internet users are given the opportunity to experience the worldwide web. By using our own existing network infrastructure, we have managed to provide free Wi-Fi at minimal cost to our ratepayers. In addition, this method ensures much better value for money than paying very high costs to outsource the service. All of this has been achieved with a minimal capital budget of only R5 million for each of the last two years,’ said Councillor Limberg.

Changing role of libraries in the community

‘The Kraaifontein Library services three schools in the vicinity and is therefore very well used by a large number of learners. I am sure the free Wi-Fi will be most welcomed and will definitely be used extensively as it will enable even more youth to access the global information that is available at their finger-tips,’ said Ward Councillor, Grant Twigg.

‘In addition to the City’s libraries keeping up with technology, they are safe and inclusive spaces that offer a range of activities that cater for all ages, including storytelling sessions for tots, arts and crafts, anti-drug talks with teenagers, and literacy and employment preparation workshops to mention a few.

'Libraries have moved away from solely being centres of reading to serving as centres of broader opportunity. The library of the 21st century is a place where residents can share ideas, access job and business opportunities online, and engage in life-long learning. It is important that we continue to maintain and upgrade our libraries so that they can remain relevant in our ever-changing world,’ added Councillor Limberg.

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