The metro has recorded an average growth of 21 965 in the number of users connecting at the 338 free wi-fi sites throughout the metro since the launch last year.
There’s now a total of 748 596 wi-fi users from townships, suburbs, farms and informal settlements who are using free wi-fi, Themba Gadebe, metro spokesman, said.
About R2 billion has been invested towards the digital city programme which has a number of projects, including connectivity infrastructure, roll-out of fibre, computing and applications. The roll-out will ensure that the wireless grid is expanded to previously disadvantaged areas and the connection is stable, maintained and monitored on a daily basis.
So far, there are over 1 507 hot spots, including 43 libraries and 317 municipal offices, where free wi-fi has been activated.
Residents visiting municipal buildings such as customer care areas, clinics, libraries and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department offices enjoy the daily 250 megabytes of free wi-fi per registered device within a 200m radius of hot spots.
The roll-out of free wi-fi will be completed in 2017.
The City of Ekurhuleni will soon launch a portal to provide users with important information about the metro, including jobs and educational opportunities.
