Cape Town - Durbanites will now have access to free Wi-Fi in Florida Road as MWEB rolls out the first of its Wi-Fi activated high streets.
The ISP announced on Wednesday that it had launched a Wi-Fi hotspot in the famous street in the city to provide customers with high-speed data access to the internet.
However, unlike traditional hotspots, the MWEB installation keeps users connected throughout the length of the street.
"We've created a Wi-Fi zone, rather than a Wi-Fi hotspot, to deliver a superior experience to users, wherever they may be on the high street," said Nathier Kasu, general manager at MWEB Wi-Fi.
The initiative forms part of a growing shift as government delays on mobile broadband spectrum cause a roadblock to the development of higher speed LTE or Long Term Evolution networks.
Tourists
Wi-Fi has had a resurgence as private companies and even some local governments have broadened access to the internet with Wi-Fi hotspots.
The City of Tshwane has a stated goal of blanketing the city with Wi-Fi coverage and Cape Town and Johannesburg have limited Wi-Fi projects in various stages of development.
Global mobile operator Orange has also partnered with African Eagle Tourism to provide free Wi-Fi services within their fleet of vehicles. The service is primarily directed at tourists who value connectivity when visiting Cape Town.
In Durban the Wi-Fi zone was welcomed.
"As a city we are excited to see the expansion of super-fast uncapped Wi-Fi across Durban. MWEB Wi-Fi will further boost the Florida Road area as it is also used as a meeting venue for business people as well as local residents," said Phillip Sithole, head of Durban Tourism.
News24 is part of 24.com, a subsidiary of Media24, which is in the Naspers stable. MWEB is a subsidiary of Naspers.
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The ISP announced on Wednesday that it had launched a Wi-Fi hotspot in the famous street in the city to provide customers with high-speed data access to the internet.
However, unlike traditional hotspots, the MWEB installation keeps users connected throughout the length of the street.
"We've created a Wi-Fi zone, rather than a Wi-Fi hotspot, to deliver a superior experience to users, wherever they may be on the high street," said Nathier Kasu, general manager at MWEB Wi-Fi.
The initiative forms part of a growing shift as government delays on mobile broadband spectrum cause a roadblock to the development of higher speed LTE or Long Term Evolution networks.
Tourists
Wi-Fi has had a resurgence as private companies and even some local governments have broadened access to the internet with Wi-Fi hotspots.
The City of Tshwane has a stated goal of blanketing the city with Wi-Fi coverage and Cape Town and Johannesburg have limited Wi-Fi projects in various stages of development.
Global mobile operator Orange has also partnered with African Eagle Tourism to provide free Wi-Fi services within their fleet of vehicles. The service is primarily directed at tourists who value connectivity when visiting Cape Town.
In Durban the Wi-Fi zone was welcomed.
"As a city we are excited to see the expansion of super-fast uncapped Wi-Fi across Durban. MWEB Wi-Fi will further boost the Florida Road area as it is also used as a meeting venue for business people as well as local residents," said Phillip Sithole, head of Durban Tourism.
News24 is part of 24.com, a subsidiary of Media24, which is in the Naspers stable. MWEB is a subsidiary of Naspers.
- Follow Duncan on Twitter