The USO rollout forms part of the license obligations for MTN, Vodacom, Neotel & Cell C. In 1993, the licences awarded to South Africa’s fixed-line operator Telkom and the then two mobile operators Vodacom and MTN all included universal service obligations.
South Africa’s Universal Services and Access Obligation (USAO) refers to a state objective to provide broad public access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) to ensure the provision of services to rural, remote, and lower-income users who would not, in the absence of such policies, be served. Universal service and universal access are both regulated in order to facilitate full access to modern technologies, to promote economic development, and to eliminate current disparities between rural and urban areas.
- Target of 5250 Schools in 5 years
- Project commenced in 2015/16 with a yearly target of 1050 schools
- Education content placed in local servers