40 schools benefit from Swazi MTN, Real Image

The project, which began as a pilot in February this year, will ensure schools offering Information Communication and Technology in their curriculum get to enjoy Internet services via 3G technology at an affordable rate.

The project is expected to be in full swing by the beginning of examinations next week. Explaining to a meeting of Ministry of Education and Training personnel including the director of education, ITC teachers and principals from selected schools, Swazi MTN Marketing Officer, Mbongeni Mtshali said they had already piloted the concept with four schools in the country. Swazi MTN selected one school in each region and the pilot commenced on February 26 2012 and ended on March, 25 2012.

 "MTN assisted in setting up the routers and the test SIMs. Schools then facilitated their network connectivity to the router and fully used the solution in order to get a true reflection of the data usage. Schools were expected to safely manage the usage of the service to avoid misuse and unauthorised access," said Mtshali. Among the benefits of using Swazi MTN Internet schools connectivity solution, is that schools will pay a standard amount each month and the service would be automatically switched off in the event that the data limit was exceeded. This allows schools to plan and budget for their data expenditure.

 Swazi MTN Head of Sales and Distribution Mark Witthuhn said the organisation felt an obligation to bring the 3G service to schools and the people. Witthuhn said when Swazi MTN received the 3G licence in October 2011, it allowed them to deliver fast Internet services to the people, but Swazi MTN realised that important government sectors such as the education sector were not fully exploiting the benefits of 3G which has done wonders in improving education in other developing countries.

　

　

"We have seen how the private sector is benefitting and we see no reason why the public sector should not benefit as well. MTN supports the ICT teacher implementation plan and we are trying to bring closer to the people world-class broadband quality, the same as in South Africa and the rest of the world," Witthuhn said.

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