Project Link started with a simple mission: to connect more people to high-quality broadband Internet. Our first step was to build a super-fast fiber network in Kampala that any mobile operator or Internet service provider can use to improve the quality of access and launch new services, such as 4G. By connecting the city to abundant capacity, which a dozen local providers are using today, Link’s fiber network is providing a foundation for better connectivity in Uganda’s capital.
Today, Project Link is building on this foundation by launching a Wi-Fi hotzone network to improve the quality and affordability of wireless access—a key need to meet the bandwidth demands of the Kampala’s growing number of mobile phone users.
As with our fiber network, our Wi-Fi hotzone network will equip mobile network operators (MNOs) and Internet service provider (ISPs) with infrastructure they need to deliver improved services to end users. We offer these local providers access to wireless infrastructure—Wi-Fi access points and supporting equipment—so they can deliver Wi-Fi services without having to make duplicate investments in costly infrastructure.
Our Wi-Fi network is available today at 120 sites in the busiest parts of the city, and we plan to expand to more in the coming year. Local providers can use this shared Wi-Fi infrastructure to bring Wi-Fi to people on-the-go at busy locations—like Seroma Shoppers Stop Plaza or Ben Kiwanuka Old Taxi Park. We are launching this service today with Roke Telkom, the first provider to offer Wi-Fi using Project Link hotzones. People can log into a Rokespot and access more ubiquitous, affordable access for their mobile device.
To help keep up with the demand for wireless bandwidth, we’re working with additional providers to launch similar Wi-Fi offerings. Local providers can also use our Wi-Fi hotzone network to offer wireless service in homes, cafes, and small business with a small transceiving device. Roke Telkom, as well as any future partners, will determine the specific speeds and costs of the service for end users.
As with our fiber network, the goal for all of these services is to make full, affordable, high-quality broadband access—including Wi-Fi—more available in Uganda’s largest city. The next time you find yourself on a busy street in Kampala, be sure to check out what new Wi-Fi services are available.
Source: Google Africa Blog