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2014 a 'great year' for WiFi

Tyson Ngubeni
By Tyson Ngubeni
Johannesburg, 26 Nov 2014
More than 240 000 unique users have connected to Tshwane's free WiFi since July.
More than 240 000 unique users have connected to Tshwane's free WiFi since July.

While SA is some way off in having ubiquitous WiFi, pundits agree 2014 has seen great strides in broadening access, with an increasing amount of free and paid-for hubs tapping into local appetite for connectivity.

The year was earmarked as a watershed in the country's push towards expanding access to wireless technology and, as it draws to a close, commentators say the predictions of a surge in access have held true.

Michael Fletcher, sales director for Ruckus Wireless sub-Saharan Africa, says although free WiFi is not yet available to all South Africans, "there is a lot more now than there was in January and more sites will still be coming, which shows that strides are being made in this regard".

Fletcher says government and the private sector have been pivotal, with the City of Tshwane and more cities starting to "lead the way" with public access.

On the up

Basic communication, education and unemployment are some of the key drivers fuelling added engagement in Tshwane's free hubs, according to technology partner Project Isizwe. The non-profit organisation says unique users have shown a steady monthly increase since the network was expanded in July.

James Devine, CIO of Project Isizwe, says more than 240 000 unique users have connected since the expansion, of which 166 865 have used the network since the beginning of September. Data consumption has also been on the up, with 34TB consumed so far this month, compared to 33TB in September and 37TB throughout October.

Tim Human, content and communications manager, adds the Gumtree jobs portal and WiFi TV have been the biggest traffic drivers. "The response has been massive and we are still adding more content and optimising the portal so that it is relevant and helpful to people," he says.

Taxis on track

SA's minibus taxi industry has also jumped on the free WiFi bandwagon, allowing commuters to connect in transit, with technology partner Wi-Taxi reporting positive commuter uptake.

Brian Mdluli, CEO of the company, says although specific usage figures cannot be revealed at this stage, commuter and advertiser response has been "phenomenal". He notes Wi-Taxi is also on track to meet its target of 1 500 vehicles equipped with wireless technology connectivity by the end of this year, and the second phase would connect around 4 000 taxis each month.

Wi-Taxi users are restricted to a 50MB monthly data cap and the service draws advertisers targeting commuters.

ICT veteran Adrian Schofield says the expanding range of local solutions plays into the appetite for efficient ways of communicating. "The projects play into the long-standing belief that we need to bring down costs of communicating."

Schofield adds smart device penetration will also play a pivotal role in the speed of adoption among local users.

Backhaul stalling growth

Despite the gains in access, says Fletcher, backhaul remains a persistent challenge to growth. "While there is a lot of fibre in the ground, it isn't always in areas where it's needed. There are still a large number of malls waiting for backhaul to light up their WiFi and, if your deployment is successful and uptake is good, you need serious backhaul."

In the interim, Telkom Mobile is another business making the most of local appetite for connectivity. It says more than 4 500 hotspots are live around the country, with more planned in future. The company allows users 30 minutes of free connection on its platforms.

According to research by the Wireless Broadband Alliance and Informa, global public WiFi hotspot numbers will reach 5.8 million by 2015, compared to 1.3 million in 2011 - marking a 350% increase.

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