Coca-Cola and BT join hands for connecting communities in Sou Africa
23/09/2014
Coca-Cola and BT join hands for connecting communities in South Africa
Coca-Cola and BT offer free Internet access to Umtata and Nelspruit
Coca-Cola South Africa, bottling partner Coca-Cola Fortune and BT Global Services are partnering to set up WiFi on Coca-Cola machines and provide free internet access to impoverished communities in South Africa. Coca-Cola is installing the refreshment-dispensing coolers while BT is providing design and support, connectivity and internet access, as well as business training.
The pilot project has been launched in two key areas in Umtata in the Eastern Cape province and Nelspruit, in the Mpumalanga province.
The initiative forms part of Coca-Cola's commitment to building sustainable communities by empowering the members of these communities. We believe that by giving them access to free WiFi we will enable students and school children in the area to increase their knowledge through research while also giving entrepreneurs and small business owners in the community the opportunity to manage some of their business aspects online, says David Visser, Chief Information Officer of Coca-Cola South Africa.
Oliver Fortuin, managing director, BT Global Services, Sub Saharan Africa, said: We are delighted to collaborate with Coca-Cola and be involved in a project that will give underserved communities much improved access to information and education opportunities. At BT, we have a vision for a Connected Society: to help improve society globally through the power of digital connections. As well as providing access, we want to help people use technology to apply their creativity and harness the possibilities of todays connected world.
The project provides WiFi connectivity for community members of Nelspruit and Umtata. The sites were strategically chosen for their accessibility, so as to maximise usage of technology by the locals. The first site is Sasol Integrated Energy Centre (SIEC) in Qunu, Umtata. This is a popular spot for locals and is in close proximity to a taxi rank, attracting large numbers of people. Furthermore SIEC is run by a predominantly women run co-operative which will benefit from the increased flow of people. The second site is located at Thokozane Fast Food situated in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
Both outlets are in the vicinity of shopping centres and schools, allowing members of the communities to combine their day-to-day activities with the opportunity to access the internet for business and educational purposes. Internet access is offered for free via WiFi, without any purchase requirement of any kind and is accessible for the duration of the time spent at the outlets.
Coca-Cola South Africa, Coca-Cola Fortune and BT Global Services aim to grow the project and install WiFi coolers in various parts of South Africa to help support and grow sustainable communities.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Other projects that BT runs around the world to help people get online and develop the skills and confidence to use the internet include:
In South Africa, BT launched Connecting Africa in 2013, a project with SOS Children's Villages, to connect twenty of the charity's sites in twelve African countries via its global satellite network. BT and SOS Children's Villages estimate that the project directly and indirectly benefits approximately 700,000 people.
In India, BT launched KITES, the Katha Information Technology E-commerce School, to provide children in Delhi's poorest communities with high-quality education and access to IT and computer skills.
In the UK, BT runs a regional Get IT Together programme, working in some of the most deprived areas of the country to understand the specific needs of the communities and give as many local people as possible the confidence to take their first steps online.
BT works with UNICEF UK for The Right Click: Internet Safety Matters , a partnership which aims to help children to protect themselves online, and help parents to keep their children safe on the internet. Launched in 2014, the three-year partnership will see both organisations work with teachers, parents and children across the UK, delivering train the teachers' sessions, which will be followed by workshops for parents and children on practical ideas and tools to empower them to be safe online. The partnership will also enable UNICEF UK to expand its UK based Rights Respecting Schools programme to disadvantaged areas.
BT is establishing South Africa as its satellite communications hub for Sub Saharan Africa and using it to provide the communications required by business and the greater communities in which it operates.
About BT's Better Future programme
Better Future is BT's commitment to use the power of communications to improve lives and ways of doing business without it costing the earth. BT has set itself three goals to achieve by 2020 which will help it to grow sustainably, especially in new emerging markets. The goals focus on connecting people digitally ( Connected Society'), using our skills and technology to help society support good causes ( Improving Lives'), and ensuring BT makes a net positive contribution to the environment ( Net Good'). They are rooted in what BT does best bringing together our networks and technology with the expertise of our people to make a better world. For further information, visit www.bt.com/betterfuture.
For more information, visit www.btplc.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the worlds largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the worlds most valuable and recognizable brands, our Companys portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, v
LINK: | http://www.btplc.com/News/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ArticleID=A9250501-... |
See more stories from bt |
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet Named an IDC Innovator in Media and Entertainment
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
27/11/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, the Co-Directors of Sujo
By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...
27/11/2024
Dinner and a Movie: Katie Arthurs on Top End Wedding and Breakfast Burritos
The author watching a film with her mother and brother....
27/11/2024
Inside the Archives: Showcasing Sundance Talent in Oz and the Colosseum
Denzel Washington at the Piper-Heidsieck Tribute press conference at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Sandria Miller...
27/11/2024
Spotify Teams Up With UK Charity Youth Music To Support Grassroots Youth Spaces
Over the past decade in the U.K., financial constraints and shifting community resources have put many grassroots music spaces under increasing pressure. There ...
27/11/2024
Are You Wrapped-Ready? First Make Sure Your Spotify App Is Up-to-Date
Wrapped is almost here and Spotify is starting to drop hints at what this year's campaign is all about: the fans. To get ready for the big reveal, Spotify i...
27/11/2024
Find Restaurant Recommendations Based on Your Music Taste With Spotify, American Express, and Resy
Dining out for the vibes? You're not alone. According to Resy's 2024 Ret...
27/11/2024
L3Harris' Lou Speaight is a Finalist at Women in Defence UK Awards 2024
The Women in Defence U.K. awards ceremony celebrates the extraordinary contributions individuals and teams make to Defence....
27/11/2024
Tint Boosts Collaborative Workflows with EditShare Storage Across Gothenburg and Stockholm Facilities
Tint Boosts Collaborative Workflows with EditShare Storage Across Gothenburg and...
27/11/2024
Clear-Com Powers Communication at the 2024 Singapore Airlines Formula 1 Singapore...
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
27/11/2024
Nielsen launches activation with Advanced Audiences, enhancing digital campaign precision, reach and effectiveness across New Zealand
Auckland, November 26, 2024 Nielsen today announced the launch of Advanced Aud...
27/11/2024
Nielsen releases 2024 Food and Beverage Report, covering a decade of data on the sector's ad spend, media trends and consumer shifts in Australia
Report reveals ad spend of 100 occasional food & beverage brands over last 10 ye...
27/11/2024
Lynx Technik Adds Vincent Noyer as Director of Product Marketing
WEITERSTADT, Germany Broadcast TV equipment provider Lynx Technik has named Vincent Noyer as director of product marketing....
27/11/2024
NBCUniversal Works With Walmart to Bring Live Shopping to Live Sports
NEW YORK NBCUniversal and Walmart said they are bringing new shoppable experiences and measurement capabilities to live sports coverage. Kicking off on Thanksgi...
27/11/2024
Deadline extended for submissions to Best in Market 2024 Awards
The awards are open to any company that launched a product/service or brought new upgrades to an existing product/service in 2024 By TVBEurope Staff Publishe...
27/11/2024
Marc Allera to leave BT Group
In a nine year career with BT, Allera played a key role in the development of its joint venture with Warner Bros Discovery, TNT Sports By Matthew Corrigan Pu...
27/11/2024
Ross Video Hopes To BHAG Private Equity With Ambitious Strategy Shift
Ross Video has outlined a shift in its strategic approach and announced a significant financial target for 2030....
27/11/2024
Bending Spoons To Acquire Brightcove for $233 Million
BOSTON Brightcove said it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Bending Spoons in an all-cash transaction valued at about $233 million....
27/11/2024
Transmit, Wurl Partner on FAST Channel Ads
NEW YORK Advanced-advertising solutions provider Transmit and connected-TV tech company Wurl have struck a partnership that will bring Transmit's in-stream ...
27/11/2024
Prime Video Adds More FAST Channels for the Holidays
Amazon's Prime Video continues to bulk up its free, ad-supported streaming TV channels with the launch of holiday-themed channels and other services....
27/11/2024
Sinclair's Chris Ripley Lays Out ATSC 3.0 Challenges, Opportunities
HUNT VALLEY, Md. Earlier this month, Sinclair signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Technology Bombay covering their collaboration on broad...
27/11/2024
Krotos Introduces the Creator Toolkit: Tailored Sound Effects for Content Creators
Krotos Introduces the Creator Toolkit: Tailored Sound Effects for Content Creato...
27/11/2024
First look revealed for third explosive instalment of Sky Original Gangs of London', coming 2025
First look revealed for third explosive instalment of Sky Original Gangs of Lon...
27/11/2024
The Summer Hikaru Died' Set to Bring Eerie Anime Thrills to Netflix
Back to All News The Summer Hikaru Died' Set to Bring Eerie Anime Thrills to NetflixPlay Video Play Video Entertainment 27 November 2024 GlobalJapan ...
27/11/2024
Thales Alenia Space to lead Carb-Chaser project, the first French constellation to monitor human-induced CO emissions
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Cannes, November 27, 2024 - Thales Alenia Space,...
27/11/2024
RT Radio 1 Folk Awards Tickets on Sale
Awards on Wednesday 26th February 2025 in Vicar Street, Dublin #rtefolkawards | Tickets via Ticketmaster (link below) Tickets for the 7th RT Radio 1 Folk Awa...
27/11/2024
How RTX AI PCs Unlock AI Agents That Solve Complex Problems Autonomously With Generative AI
Editor's note: This post is part of the AI Decoded series, which demystifies...
26/11/2024
Afghan Reporter Wins Young Journalist of the Year 2024
A woman journalist from Afghanistan has been named Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year 2024. The journalist, who we are not naming for her ow...
26/11/2024
Audiobook Authors and Publishers Get a New Suite of Tools With the Launch of Spotify for Authors
Spotify's audiobook catalog brings more than 300,000 titles-and counting-to ...
26/11/2024
L3Harris in the UK Achieves Silver ERS Award Status
Jules Ball and Henry Watts, with the award being presented by Brigadier Adam Fraser-Hitchen ADC DL, Deputy Commander of 3rd UK Division....
26/11/2024
Reliable Power for Broadcast Sports Production
Steve ColeFor more than 14 years Steve Cole has been enjoying life in live broadcast, starting as a camera operator and shortly after, adding PTZ/remote camera ...
26/11/2024
Studio Technologies Introduces Model 352A and Model 354A...
Studio Technologies, manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, presents the Model 352A and Model 354A Talk Stations. The units suppo...
26/11/2024
TASCAM Sonicview Recording and Mixing Consoles and SMPTE...
TASCAM, renowned for its versatile and adaptable audio solutions, today announced that its TASCAM Sonicview Digital Mixing Consoles and optional IF-ST2110 Expan...
26/11/2024
Blue Lucy takes on The Americas
London-based media technology business, Blue Lucy, has set up a US division of the company and appointed Dina Behar Hevert as VP Americas. The company's ent...
26/11/2024
Leader Experiences 2024 as Year of Ongoing Innovation in...
The American writer William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry, wrote of New York City in the early 1900s that It'll be a great place if they ever fin...
26/11/2024
AGILE CONTENT AND TISCALI TEAM UP TO LAUNCH THE TV SERVIC...
Agile Content joins forces with Tiscali to introduce a new platform in Italy, offering a wide range of premium content for all audiences. Agile Content, a Eur...
26/11/2024
Bulgarian Fund for Women made accessible using SubtitleNE...
For immediate release 26 November 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria Profuz Digital recently sponsored the Bulgarian Fund for Women's 20th Anniversary event by donat...
26/11/2024
Ikegami Sees Accelerating Adoption of IP and Mixed-Format...
Ikegami reports an accelerating migration to high-efficiency IP and mixed-format UHD/HD content creation throughout 2024. Product developments announced during ...
26/11/2024
CVP Announces the Second Belgian Production Technology Sh...
The premier event for cutting-edge production solutions, technologies, and industry insights returns to Brussels. CVP, one of Europe's leading resellers an...
26/11/2024
EMG-Gravity Media to deliver more than 350 hours coverage...
EMG / Gravity Media, a leading force in production and content, media services and facilities, today detailed EMG / Gravity Media's expanding broadcast and ...
26/11/2024
iZotope unveils Cascadia, an intelligent tape delay for clear and present mixes
iZotope unveils Cascadia, an intelligent tape delay for clear and present mixes Brie Clayton November 26, 2024 0 Comments Keep your mixes clear and fo...
26/11/2024
Award Winning Memoir of a Snail Finished in DaVinci Resolve Studio
Award Winning Memoir of a Snail Finished in DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton November 26, 2024 0 Comments DaVinci Resolve Studio used to create uni...
26/11/2024
Ross Video hopes to BHAG private equity with a shift in strategy and ambitious growth plans
Pulling back on innovation and growth doesn't fit the DNA of Ross Video. Pri...
26/11/2024
Bending Spoons dips into enterprise SaaS market with $233 million Brightcove acquisition
Italy-based Bending Spoons suite of digital technology products includes Evernot...
26/11/2024
Nielsen: Fox, Disney Gain Viewing Share in October
NEW YORK In the battle for viewing among the big TV and media players, Fox had a superb October, earning an 8.4% share of total TV viewing in Nielsen's Octo...
26/11/2024
FCC: Jan 1. Deadline to Implement Audio Description Rules in DMAs 101-110
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau has issued a reminder that stations in TV markets 101 to 110 must implement its new audio de...
26/11/2024
NBC News Now Expands Into Latin America
NEW YORK NBC News Now has expanded its international distribution into Latin America with launches in Mexico and Brazil on Samsung TV Plus....
26/11/2024
Scripps Sets up AI Strategy Team
CINCINNATI In a notable example of a broadcaster turning to artificial intelligence to improve operations and open up new business opportunities, E.W. Scripps h...
26/11/2024
Cablecast Community Media Bids Fond Farewell to Steve Israelsky
Cablecast Community Media Bids Fond Farewell to Steve Israelsky Brie Clayton November 25, 2024 0 Comments Steve sails into retirement following a colo...
26/11/2024
New Games, New Stakes: Squid Game' Season 2 Main Trailer and Key Art Round and Round' Unveiled
Back to All News New Games, New Stakes: Squid Game' Season 2 Main Trailer ...