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MWeb explains WiFi changes

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 26 Mar 2015

MultiChoice-owned Internet service provider (ISP) MWeb has handed over the running of its WiFi network to WirelessCo, but this will not affect MWeb's ISP customers' services, nor its global crowdsource WiFi network, Fon.

This comes after WirelessCo was officially created in January. Jointly owned and operated by Internet Solutions (51%) and MWeb (49%), WirelessCo was set up to build and operate an open access carrier-grade WiFi network.

The company combines WiFi network assets from WiFi provider AlwaysOn, owned by Internet Solutions, together with MWeb's WiFi assets.

MWeb CEO Derek Hershaw says, as an interim measure until rebranding MWeb WiFi has been completed, WirelessCo is using the AlwaysOn gateway to manage access to this new combined network. "This is a short-term solution until a new access gateway, operated under the WirelessCo brand, is released."

MWeb WiFi customers will continue to use the ISP's services as per usual, with the only difference being they now get access to uncapped WiFi on both the MWeb WiFi network and the AlwaysOn WiFi network. Previously, ISP customers could only get 5GB of data on the AlwaysOn network.

Essentially, says Hershaw, MWeb's existing WiFi offering remains in place, "it's just the way that you access that network that has changed, and only for an interim period".

Going bigger

In September last year, when news of WirelessCo first emerged, Internet Solutions MD Saki Missaikos said the company wanted to "own" the WiFi space. He said, however, it could not do this alone - which is why WirelessCo was created as an open access network.

Internet Solutions has been driving WiFi for over eight years now, through services such as AlwaysOn. The company's agenda is to try and dominate mobility through WiFi, by rolling out carrier-grade WiFi infrastructure at a low cost, says Missaikos.

As of six months ago, Internet Solutions had about 50% of the hotspot market, through AlwaysOn. Missaikos recently said adding in MWeb's WiFi would make WirelessCo the largest player in the space.

At inception, WirelessCo already had four anchor clients - Internet Solutions, AlwaysOn, MWeb Consumer and MultiChoice.

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