Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of internet connection all over the world. Wireless technology has widely spread lately and you can get connected almost anywhere; at home, at work, in libraries, schools, airports, hotels and even in some restaurants. The major advantage of Wi-Fi is that it is compatible with almost every operating system, game device and advanced printer. Areas which are enabled with Wi-Fi connectivity are known as Hot Spots. The term is most often used to refer to wireless networks in public areas like airports and coffee shops. Some are free and some require fees for use, but in either case they can be handy when you are on the go.
The number of Wi-Fi public hotspots is set to rapidly rise around the world over the next few years, with Africa grabbing a significant portion of that increase. Worldwide public Wi-Fi hotspot deployments reached 5.69 million in 2014, and they are expected to reach 13.3 million in 2020.
In Africa, the trend is towards providing citizens with free Wi-Fi in order to boost economic activity and education. It could contribute as much as 10 per cent – $300 billion – of the continent’s total GDP by 2025. The provision of free Wi-Fi is becoming a continent-wide trend. In Kenya for example, the county of Nakuru is offering residents free access through a partnership between the State House Digital Team and the county government, at the reported cost of US$2 million.
South Africa is way ahead of the rest of providing free access to citizens, with both the public and private sectors assisting in rollouts across the country. Nigeria and Kenya are trying to develop more and more Hot Spots but the rest of Africa is still behind.
Afrikanet can help organisations to develop more Hot Spots in Africa thanks to our VSAT and WiMax solutions.
