Imagine living in a city where access to data was free? You would have the ability to enter a Wi-Fi hotspot and garner access to the internet. No questions asked, no need to share emails or opt in. Wi-Fi hot spots that mirror bus stops or access to the internet much like turning a tap gives you access to water. According to the founder of Project Isizwe, Alan Knott-Craig Junior, by 2020 South Africa will have free Wi-Fi that everyone can have access to. Project Isizwe is a non profit organisation that aims to deploy public Free Wi-Fi networks in low-income communities. They work with the government to try give South Africans access to free Wi-Fi. Though… is there anything actually free? Or does “free” simply mean that you and I become the product?
Knott-Craig was speaking on a panel at the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks & Applications Conference (SATNAC). Let’s explain this in simple speak shall we… Knott-Craig was part of a panel discussing the Role of Wi-Fi in modern cities and what the “right” business model would be. His argument was a rather passionate one. He says in a few years time the top 4% of South Africans will have fibre to the home or business, the rest will be wireless using ADSL or wireless broadband connections. However, the vast majority of the population will not be able to afford to get on the internet. Ever.
So what does free WiFi actually cost?
While the concept of Telkom turning their current pay phones in to Wi-Fi spots or us living in a country where we could walk down the street and have access to data whenever we wanted is a rather rad one – the truth is, nothing is ever free. Someone will need to pay. According to Knott-Craig it would be the taxpayer. So technically, for you and me, it ain’t free Wi-Fi anymore. He also decided to end the panel by saying that there is no money in the WiFi business. Interesting comment considering his stake in Wi-Fi related businesses.
Following the panel discussion (and lunch), Managing Director of Cisco EMEA, Peter Ford disputed the comments and pointed out that he works with Starbucks to improve their connectivity in stores. The business model doesn’t make money from the connectivity but rather from the data is gathers based on the user behaviour on the network. So, in another words, tracking who you and I are connecting with on the internet and how we’re doing it. Collecting data on the sites we visit and how long we ‘re browsing.
It’s Big Data and it is valuable to multinational corporates. I’ve touched on the benefits of big data for Intel IQ but could this also be the way we get free Wi-Fi in South Africa? Could our government enter in to discussions with big corporates and trade connectivity for access to data?
According to our Minister of Telecommunications, Siyabonga Cwele, people will give up alcohol, cars and sex for internet access. Are you willing to give up your “right” to privacy and allow your online habits to become a tradeable commodity in exchange for it?
Disclaimer: Sam’s trip to SATNAC was sponsored by Telkom.
