South Africans will soon see affordable and reliable wireless hotspots appearing throughout the country, says M-Web Home GM Russell Dreisenstock.
Three companies - M-Web, Internet Solutions and Airports Company SA - have launched a joint venture to develop the local hotspot industry. "You will see an explosion of new hotspots. The initiative has already started, with airport hotspots piloted two years ago, and new hotspots at four Mugg and Bean restaurants and a pilot project at a City Lodge."
Dreisenstock says Mugg and Bean and City Lodge have also been in talks to roll-out hotspot deployments to their franchises nationally.
The joint venture is aimed at implementing hotspots in three specific areas, says Dreisenstock. "There are three centric circles. At the core, we have the airports. The next ring around that is the hospitality trade. In the outer-most ring, we have the retail businesses: shopping centres, restaurants, and so on."
Dreisenstock says the "hotspot explosion" was expected late last year after the Independent Communications Authority of SA`s decision to permit hotspots. However, it did not occur immediately and Dreisenstock attributes the slow uptake to consolidation in the marketplace.
"Businesses were positioning themselves to take advantage. This involved strategic planning, and forming coalitions that made good business sense. Now companies are well poised to implement their business plans."
Dreisenstock admits that a feasible pricing model also proved a difficult barrier to hotspot deployment. "We are currently working on it. Our main goal is to delight our consumers. To do that, we have to launch it at the lowest commercially viable price and keep it there. Maintaining the price is key."
While Dreisenstock expects the deployments to have an impact on the market, he hastens to add that consumer uptake will likely be slow. "This is an extremely useful, reliable and user-friendly technology. It is something that South Africans will definitely have a use for.
"With that said, user uptake will probably be slow. But we think it is a matter of time. It is growing enormously internationally."
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