Africa set for free Wi-Fi boost this year

Africa is set to see an increase in the number of free Wi-Fi hotspots in 2014, in line with recent moves to connect entire cities in both Rwanda and South Africa.

According to Ruckus Wireless, a company specialising in Wi-Fi infrastructure, initiatives based on those implemented in Kigali, Rwanda, and the City of Tshwane, South Africa, will become commonplace this year.

HumanIPO reported in November the City of Tshwane, in partnership with the non-profit Project Isizwe, was rolling out the first phase of free Wi-Fi for the city.

Just a few months earlier, it was announced that the Smart Kigali initiative was planning to set-up free Wi-Fi zones in the Rwandan capital.

source: www.humanipo.com

Is 2014 the year of Wi-Fi in Africa

Free Wi-Fi initiatives in African cities such as Rwanda’s Kigali and South Africa’s Tshwane are set to drive wireless internet access on the continent, says Ruckus Wireless.

Ruckus Wireless, a supplier of advanced wireless systems for the mobile internet infrastructure market, has predicted that this year could be a watershed one for Wi-Fi.

According to research from the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) compiled by Informa Telecoms & Media, global public Wi-Fi hotspot numbers could reach 5.8 million by 2015, marking a 350% increase since 2011.

And officials at Ruckus Wireless say that in 2014 the state of the Wi-Fi industry could continue to improve

source: www.itwebafrica.com

Global Connected Car Market Report 2013-2018

The market presents direct revenue channel from applications, services, and content. Industry experts believe that if it is done right, software updates will become the major revenue generator since people are willing to pay for them if they are reasonably priced. Software can keep the car up-to-date even if it is not the latest model anymore and essentially tied to the regular maintenance of the vehicle.

The future remains to be seen and will depend on how much the automotive companies open up their systems for third party developers. However, car manufacturers need to standardize on common solutions to drive the market and open systems to create the necessary critical mass among app developers.

Key Take-Aways

• The total shipments of connected car in 2012 are expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 41.2% from 2013 to 2018. This would account for more than 50.0% of total global car shipments by 2018.
• Various connectivity solutions such as LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, and HSPA are being bundled with OEM manufactured cars, apart from the existing traditional connectivity such as Bluetooth and 2G.
• North America and China would lead the way in LTE adoption, while 3G would get a boost from European countries andIndia.
• Middle East, North Africa, and emerging economies in countries such as Indonesia offer a better opportunity for traditional connectivity solutions.
• Automotive Semiconductor Industry to reach $18 billion by 2018
• The growth of end product market such as display and screen is directly linked to the OEM shipment of the connected car market.
• Aftermarket service is likely to witness the highest CAGR from 2013 to 2018.

source: www.prnewswire.com

political will is key to unlocking free Wi-Fi zones in Africa

Political decision makers have helped ensure the roll-out of free Wi-Fi access in South Africa’s City of Tshwane (Pretoria), says Alan Knott-Craig Jr.

Knott-Craig Jr -- a chartered accountant who was previously the chief executive officer of mobile messaging service Mxit and former CEO of wireless broadband service provider iBurst -- now heads up non-profit Project Isizwe.

This non-profit seeks to bring internet access to Africans by facilitating the roll-out of free Wi-Fi in public spaces in low-income areas. Project Isizwe also believes that internet should be considered an essential service like water or electricity, and that it should be available to everyone, regardless of circumstance.

And the City of Tshwane is the first recipient of Project Isizwe Wi-Fi. Locations with the service include the likes of Church Square in the central business district (CBD), education facilities such as the University of Pretoria (UP) in Hatfield and a community centre in the township of Mamelodi.

No login or password details are required to access the free Wi-Fi while a fair usage policy limits users to a data cap of 250MB. The likes of pornography websites are also blocked by the service to prevent abuse.

Average broadband speeds are planned to be 1 mbps download and 256 kbps upload.

Phase one of the project has been officially launched this week while the second-phase is set to connect an additional 213 free internet zones around Soshanguve, Mamelodi and Atteridgeville by the end of 2014.

Government workers from the likes of Tshwane IT, City Power and the water department have helped implement the Project Isizwe initiative. Private fixed line telecommunications firm Neotel has also supported the project by providing an internet breakout of 200 mbps.

Meanwhile, Knott-Craig told ITWeb Africa on Wednesday that Project Isizwe’ relationships with Tshwane government workers in particular has been key to rolling out such a project.

“There’s no technical reasons why this can’t be replicated everywhere, except political will,” Knott-Craig told ITWeb Africa.

“If you find a key political decision maker...you can get this done,” he said.

Knott-Craig further told ITWeb Africa that the first key requirement to getting this done is setting up a non-profit organisation to carry out the project so as to cut out a “middle-man” and any profit incentives.

source : itwebafrica.com

vodacom- wirelessG deal to offer new wi fi data products

WirelessG announced today (13 November 2013) that it has been appointed as the exclusive provider of Wi-Fi data products to Vodacom.

The purpose of the deal will be for Vodacom to bundle G-Connect Wi-Fi data products with certain mobile product offerings.

Vodacom will offer these bundled products as a new product range through its entire retail distribution network.

“The technical scope and implementation specifics of WirelessG’s appointment are currently being formalized between the parties,” WirelessG said.

It is anticipated to be rolled-out during the first quarter of 2014.

In terms of the agreement, WirelessG will roll-out and integrate a national Wi-Fi network which comprises of no less than 6,000 Wi-Fi hotspots over the next 5 years.

“The parties are already engaged in rolling-out the strategic objectives we have agreed upon,” said WirelessG CEO, Carel van der Merwe.

As part of the agreement, WirelessG is also entitled to distribute and resell all Vodacom’s products.

“We welcome a new era of Wi-Fi, where it is offered as part of the mainstream mobile offering through the largest telecommunications channel in South Africa,” said van der Merwe.

“We expect a change in the connectivity landscape and interest in Wi-Fi due to the fact that it will be more prominently available as a complimentary service to 3G and offered by a market leader such as Vodacom.”