Free wi-fi but no connection?
When I read in the news that taxi commuters were going to get free Wi-Fi, I was in shock and had to read the statement a few times to make sure my mind wasn't playing tricks.
Low and behold, I am proud to say that no, I am not going crazy… the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in collaboration with Telkom mobile and Wi-Taxi South Africa plan to bring free connectivity to the masses. And what a great idea that is!
During the launch in Soweto on 12 June, Wi-Taxi South Africa CEO, Brian Mdluli, explained that while the Wi-Fi connection would be limited, travellers would effectively be able to browse for free during their commute. Many South Africans can use this time to search for jobs, interact with friends and family on social media, or download helpful apps.
Mdluli said Bree Street taxi rank in the Joburg CBD would be the first to get connected, followed by Bara Taxi rank in Soweto.
Santaco said they hoped to connect all taxis in South Africa within a two-year period.
While the news is very exciting and a huge thumbs up must be given to all those involved – I can’t help but wonder what the catch is. Santaco CEO Nkululeko Buthelezi said commuters would not be expected to pay extra for the Wi-Fi service, it was simply an added service and money would be made through advertising opportunities. Each Wi-Fi taxi would be branded with a code for easy connectivity, and 50 megabytes would be allocated to each commuter per month and 200 megabytes per taxi per day.
While beggars can’t be choosers, 200 megabytes per taxi per day does not seem an awful lot. On top of that – is the Wi-Fi really going to the masses or just the elite few who have smartphones?
According to Business Tech, smartphone usage is on the rise in South Africa, with a 32 percent growth in 2013 and an estimated 20 million users. This compared to the 52.98 million people in the country. Are the people who need the service really going to be getting it?
Well – I think it is worth a try and am very excited about the project and wish Santaco, Wi-Taxi South Africa and Telkom the best of luck with the roll-out… I think they are going to need it.
