A high-speed wireless broadband network is launching in Nairobi, Kenya, in the city’s Junction Shopping Mall area. The Wazi Wi-Fi network is being launched by Wananchi Group, in collaboration with Google and wireless data service management company Aptilo Networks.
The service is free for the first ten minutes of use per day on each device. Users can then purchase a single day pass for Shs.50 per device and Shs.500 for one month per device. Customers can pay for the service online using credit cards or local mobile money solutions including M-PESA, Airtel Money and PesaPal.
“We are having discussions with local businesses to explore expansion plans. We see big opportunities in using Wi-Fi technology for mobile data offloading and providing high speed unmetered access away from home. The African region has always been ahead with mobile data services, and the rapid uptake of newer affordable smartphones and tablets keeps driving up the demand for data capacity on the move,” says Wananchi Group CEO Richard Bell.
The network utilises Aptilo’s platform for service management and policy control. The platform facilitates easy and scalable service delivery, administration and monitoring. The Wi-Fi is being delivered via Aptilo Cloud Services, a hosted solution that meets rapid time to market and time to revenue objectives.
“The internet is a powerful source of information. Wazi Wi-Fi is part of our broader goal in Africa; to get more users online, to reduce internet access barriers and to help develop a vibrant internet environment,” commented Euan Guttridge, Technical Program Manager, Emerging Markets, Google Sub Saharan Africa. “Bit by bit, the web in Africa is helping to transform communication and open up new economic opportunities.”
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