Join us for the launch of our Stop Thief campaign
Sunday 17 March 2024 marked the second anniversary of the historic ICASA spectrum auction when the government gave R14.4 billion worth of our national airwaves to the cell phone companies – and almost two years since <<ORG>> joined over 100 other CSOs in support of Friends of a Free Internet.
The auction terms required MTN, Vodacom, Telkom and CellC to extend network coverage to 97% of the population, collect over 32,000 public buildings (like schools and clinics) to high-speed broadband, and make all the mobile content on nonprofit and government websites free to visit.
Two years later promises are unmet and data prices remain stubbornly high. South Africa has a long history of missed connectivity targets and cell phone companies opting to pay fines rather than expand network access. Without public pressure, the commitments made in the 2022 Spectrum Auction will become just more broken promises.
On Human Rights Day at the Constitutional Court we are launching a public awareness campaign to demand the government force cell companies to deliver the internet access that South Africa’s democracy and economy need to flourish.
DATE: Thurs 21 March 2024
TIME: 11h00 – 12h00
VENUE: Constituional Court*, Hillbrow, Jo’burg
Register here:
* the launch is hosted by Khulumani Galela who are occupying the Court demanding reparations for survivors of Apartheid violence.
