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Telkom plans free WiFi rollout at 171 Thusong Service Centres
For years, Telkom’s licence obligations have included public pay phones and printed directory services. In 2026, that feels like a relic of another era. Now, the telecoms giant wants to swap those old requirements for something more in step with how South Africans actually live and work: free WiFi at community hubs.
The proposal is currently sitting with the regulator, and if approved, it could see 171 Thusong Service Centres connected with free hotspots over the next three years.
Why Telkom wants to change its licence
Telkom has formally asked the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, better known as ICASA, to amend parts of its universal service and access obligations. These obligations were originally designed to ensure basic access to communication services across the country.
But the digital landscape has shifted dramatically. Public pay phones are rarely used. Printed directories have largely vanished. Data, on the other hand, is now essential.
In October 2025, ICASA published a draft notice warning that failure to meet existing licence conditions could result in fines ranging from R500,000 to R1 million. That notice brought renewed attention to Telkom’s obligations and triggered this proposed pivot.
Instead of clinging to outdated services, Telkom wants to redirect its efforts towards connectivity that communities can actually use.
What are Thusong Service Centres?
Thusong Service Centres, previously known as Multipurpose Community Centres, are one-stop government access points. They are designed to bring essential public services closer to communities, especially in underserved areas.
They offer everything from social grant assistance to identity document support and access to government information. Yet many of these centres still lack reliable internet connectivity, which limits their effectiveness in a world that increasingly runs online.
Icasa has acknowledged this gap. In line with Telkom’s request, the regulator is considering amending the licence to prioritise connectivity at 171 of these centres nationwide.
What the free WiFi would look like
If the amendments are approved, Telkom will need to submit a detailed rollout plan to ICASA for approval. That plan must include:
• A full list of the 171 centres
• The technology that will be installed at each site
• Annual targets for how many centres will be connected
• A timeline for each connection
• Quality assurance testing plans to verify speeds
The requirements are clear. Each hotspot must offer speeds of at least 30Mbps and provide uncapped connectivity. However, usage will fall under a fair usage policy.
Every user will receive a daily data cap of 300MB and a monthly cap of 2GB. The service must be free of charge.
Telkom will carry the full cost of installation, including routers, cabling, and firewalls. It must also handle maintenance and repairs within a maximum turnaround of five days.
Once the licence changes are finalised, Telkom will have six months to begin connecting centres. All 171 must be live within three years from the implementation date, with a target of October 2028 for completion.
Ongoing oversight and potential fines
The regulator is not taking a hands-off approach. Telkom will need to submit compliance reports twice a year, aligned with ICASA’s financial calendar. Reports must be filed by 30 April and 31 October annually.
These reports will detail how many centres are connected, the average connection speeds, data usage figures, and associated costs.
Failure to meet these obligations would constitute a breach of licence terms and could result in fines. Continued non-compliance may be escalated to ICASA’s Complaints and Compliance Committee.
Why this matters on the ground
In many parts of South Africa, a community centre is more than just a government office. It is a lifeline. It is where job applications are printed, where matriculants check results, where small business owners access forms, and where pensioners seek assistance.
Reliable WiFi at 30Mbps could transform how these centres operate. Even with capped usage, access to consistent, free internet can ease the financial burden on families who rely on mobile data bundles.
On social media, the reaction to the proposal has been mixed but hopeful. Some users question whether 300MB a day is enough. Others point out that any free access is better than none, particularly in rural areas where connectivity remains patchy and expensive.
There is also a broader conversation at play. As South Africa pushes towards digital inclusion, projects like this highlight the tension between regulatory compliance and meaningful service delivery. Replacing pay phones with WiFi feels symbolic of a country steadily stepping into its digital future.
For now, the amendments remain in draft form, and ICASA has invited public comment. What is clear is that the debate is no longer about whether connectivity matters. It is about how quickly and effectively it can reach the communities that need it most.
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Source: MyBroadband
Featured Image: Technext
