Infrastructure challenges key to 4IR success

The technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) hold the potential to solve some of the most critical socioeconomic needs of SA and its citizens. That’s according to Vino Govender, executive for strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and innovation at Dark Fibre Africa. However, he noted that these benefits cannot be extended to all South Africans without connectivity. And without higher levels of collaboration, coordination and cooperation among industry stakeholders, the goals relating to connectivity infrastructure cannot be achieved at enough speed and scale. Business Day reports that he said connectivity-reliant technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, could deliver high-quality health, education and other services to residents, businesses and institutions that typically would not have access to such services. ‘Connectivity infrastructure is a foundational requirement for 4IR-digital technologies and services,’ he added.