Overview
The Challenges
The City of Cape Town needs an integrated, fast, and reliable broadband network for three primary reasons:
- To help staff communicate as effectively and proactively as possible.
- To provide access to centralised systems that save everyone time and money.
- To offer dedicated networks for specific departmental functions.
The Broadband Infrastructure Project (BIP) was first proposed in 2005 and approved by Council in 2008. The resulting broadband network has become integral to the way in which the City is organised and operates – but there is still much work to be done.
In order to save time and money, and further clarify the implementation plan, the City paused the project in 2018 and asked Pegasys to help it rethink and refocus the BIP’s strategy.
The Solution
In January 2020, Pegasys was appointed as a service provider on a three-year transversal contract for the City of Cape Town. Effectively, this means that Pegasys has had the opportunity to be a one-stop-shop for all City departments that require advisory services, financial impact assessments, project management, contract management support, and negotiation input. Through this contract, Pegasys’s support has ranged from: strategic aid to the Water and Sanitation Department; MyCiti’s Automated Fare Collection system; providing Informal Settlements Basic Services (ISBS) COVID-19 response in priority areas; and the Urban Catalytic Investment Unit in detailing an economic strategy for the Philippi Opportunity Area catalytic precinct.
With a deep understanding of the City of Cape Town, Pegasys is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of each department, and to facilitate effective communication and connectivity between departments. Under the Transversal Management contract, the City appointed Pegasys to provide a diverse range of professional services, via 17 different projects – the biggest of which is the BIP.
Since then, Pegasys has helped the City of Cape Town to design a clear and comprehensive business plan that outlines the future rollout of the complete broadband network. The business plan provides a blueprint for connecting all City buildings to broadband infrastructure by 2025. It also outlines the opportunity to lease spare broadband capacity, which would generate extra revenue for the City.
The City of Cape Town had invested a large amount of money in this programme. Pegasys was called in to provide strategic direction for the optimisation programme, getting it back on track to achieve its original mandate – and more.
Stephen Berrisford, Associate Director
Results
- Having achieved Council approval for the business plan, rollout is expected to begin in late 2021.
- The financial benefits of this programme include R234 million in savings for the City, plus an estimated R211 million in additional revenue through the lease of spare capacity.
- The optimised business plan also provides opportunities for future projects that will support digital enablement to citizens. Rollout of the BIP provides the foundation for future “Smart City” opportunities, such as public Wi-Fi services, automated home water meters, safety cameras and sensors in the ground – and for future 4.0 Industry technologies, such as 5G networks.
- All City buildings that require a broadband connection are expected to have one by June 2025. This means that within the next four years, 615 new City buildings and campus sites will be connected to the existing network of 213 sites with optic fibre cable. This will require an additional 130km of optic fibre cable – an ambitious goal that will be more than achievable, now that a clear plan is in place.
- Having access to an integrated network will allow the City to provide quicker responses to citizens and increased connectivity between offices, tapping into state-of-the-art technology and serving as a pilot for other South African and African cities.
The Numbers
To be able to do the blue-sky thinking, a city first needs to function effectively – and that’s what Pegasys is helping the City of Cape Town to achieve by creating a tailored, innovative solution that meets the Broadband Infrastructure Programme’s specific needs.
Dr Alexis Schäffler-Thomson, Consulting Manager
