Liquid Telecom has partnered with the Western Cape government to increase the number of free public Wi-Fi hotspots across the region from 178 to 1,600.

This will provide 6.6 million residents with access to the Internet at government buildings across the Western Cape.

“We have reached our target of full broadband coverage with a total of 1,875 sites, including over 1,200 schools, over 200 libraries, and approximately 400 other public facilities,” said Western Cape premier Helen Zille.

She added that broadband plays a significant role in the Western Cape’s eLearning Game Changer programme, which aims to enhance teaching and learning.

“Today’s announcement is aligned with Liquid Telecom’s vision to ‘Build Africa’s Digital Future’, providing individuals and communities with high-speed Internet across cities, towns, and villages,” said Liquid Telecom SA CEO Reshaad Sha.

The new network will provide 3GB of data per device per month, at higher speeds than currently available.

The hotspots will be installed over the next three years.