WiFi access comes to the MilkyWay

Johannesburg, 23 Oct 2003

Following the news that the Independent Communications Authority of SA has decided that wireless Internet (WiFi) hotspots are legal, trendy Rosebank has immediately jumped on the bandwagon.

One of the original Internet access venues, the MilkyWay Internet Caf'e on Rosebank Boulevard, has set up a public WiFi hotspot where customers with their own laptops or PDAs can now access the Internet at high speed over an 802.11b connection.

According to Bruce Gillespie, who founded the caf'e in 1994 when, as he says "cyberspace was still science fiction", MilkyWay has taken a different approach with its implementation, compared to other local 802.11 hotspots.

"We`ve gone for simple, unregulated access via a dedicated DSL circuit, which means there are no logins, registration or encryption obstacles when customers connect, making it easy for them to use," says Gillespie.

"Customers settle up when they are done, there is no need for prepayment. Using a PC is enough of a struggle, so we chose the minimum obstacles option for our customers."

He says this option does mean that someone "can be lurking in the shadows down the boulevard, surreptitiously jacking in via a palmtop or whatever", but that he is unconcerned, as it is part of his company`s mission to bring the Internet to as many people as possible.

"The beauty of the set-up is that the wireless access is on a dedicated circuit, so even if someone connects from outside the caf'e, it won`t affect the quality of service of our genuine customers," says Gillespie.

"The emphasis at the caf'e is on creating a congenial atmosphere for Internet access and general PC usage, which is why we have resisted using PIN logins or other regimes of control, as - by lowering barriers of access - we increase customer satisfaction."

He says these issues aside, openness and trust forms the root of what the Internet is all about and he aims to promote this ethos.

The hotspot infrastructure was designed and implemented by PCB Technologies with a DSL account provided by WiseNet Internet Services.