The criteria shall be reviewed regularly using available data collected from a
variety of sources. A variety of non-governmental organisations, private
organisations, government ministries and departments shall be approached
for necessary information that will be used to develop the criteria. The facts
provided by these organizations will allow the criteria to be applied
consistently across the spectrum of localities. To ensure fairness, only criteria
that can be applied to every locality should be used in the determination of
the new rollout plan.
In order for transparency to be achieved, the criteria for evaluating localities
shall be analysed and presented in the Rollout Plan. Transparency is critical
to encourage acceptance and support for the program. Citizens need to
embrace and utilise the services being provided. The public can only support,
enhance and effectively utilise the program if they see that the program is
being implemented in a fair and equitable manner.
6.3
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria analyses localities in order to see whether they qualify to
be provided with service under the rural program. It is very important that a
continuous review of the criteria is undertaken to duly capture any changes
that may occur.
For a locality to be eligible for provision of service under the Rural
Telecommunications Program, the locality in question shall meet the following
criteria:
i) Have a population between 250 and 1500
ii) Have not been covered by the Rural Program since 1995
iii) Qualify as a special case, such as
– Remote Area Dweller (RAD) communities
– Border Posts
– Permanent Veterinary Inspection Points
– Locality with a population of less than 250, but have a Primary school
6.4
Prioritization of Localities
In the event that funding for the rollout of infrastructure and services is limited,
it will be necessary to deploy infrastructure in a phased manner. Prioritization
criteria shall be applied to assist with the determination of localities where the
needs are greatest relative to each other. The focus must be on determining
how the unique localities can be fairly assessed so as to decide which
warrants the highest priority for service rollout. The criteria must reflect
Rural Telecommunications Strategy
26 October 2006
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