In October 2010, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) gave Universities SA’s predecessor, Higher Education South Africa (HESA) a grant of R28 million in response to a HESA request to extend the South African National Research Network (SANReN) backbone, established in 2006, to remote rurally based university campuses. HESA subsequently contracted with the Tertiary Education and Research Network of SA (TENET) for the execution of what it termed the Rural Campuses Connection Project (RCCP).
Nine years and another R71million later, the RCCP has delivered increased bandwidth and faster and more stable internet connectivity to a total of 134 university sites across South Africa. In February 2019, USAf paid a visit to the University of Limpopo (UL) to investigate the outcomes of this improved facility on teaching, learning, research and administrative processes. That visit, during which ICT managers, academics, researchers, administrators and student users were interviewed, has yielded many anecdotes which we’re happy to share for system-wide awareness and possible learning. The written work will be published incrementally.
Click here for the RCCP Overview.
Click here to read on the RCCP outcomes on teaching and learning at UL.
Click here to read on RCCP outcomes on UL’s administrative processes.
Click here to read on the one perpetual threat to UL’s internet connectivity.