Free Internet Zones

 GENERAL INFORMATION ON FREE WIFI
Free Internet Zones
Free WiFi For Africa NPC, trading as Project Isizwe
NPO Registration 133-371 NPO
156 DORP STREET, STELLENBOSCH, 7600, SOUTH AFRICA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 3
WHAT IS PROJECT ISIZWE? ............................................................................................... 4
MEDIA COVERAGE ............................................................................................................... 4
FREE INTERNET ZONES (FIZ) ............................................................................................. 5
END USER SERVICE ............................................................................................................ 6
ON-NET CONTENT PORTAL ............................................................................................... 6
CURRENT PROJECTS .......................................................................................................... 8
PROJECT ISIZWE AND EDUCATION .................................................................................. 9
PROJECT ISIZWE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ...................................................... 10
PROJECT ISIZWE AND TOURISM ..................................................................................... 11
SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNET USERS – FAST FACTS ...................................................... 12
PRICE COMPARISON ......................................................................................................... 14
COVERAGE ......................................................................................................................... 15
EXTERNAL SUPPLIES ........................................................................................................ 15
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 16
GLOSSARY .......................................................................................................................... 17
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INTRODUCTION
Every South African citizen has a right to access good quality, affordable Internet, and that the
access should not be determined by the socio-economic conditions of the individual, but be
based on the principles of social solidarity, equity and fairness.
Project Isizwe believes that the best means of achieving this goal is the deployment of
government-funded Free WiFi throughout public spaces in low-income communities.
The potential benefits of the Internet for the developing world are extensive, and the World
Bank estimates that for every 10% penetration of Internet access, a country’s GDP grows by
1,28%. The problem is not so much access or content, with 3G coverage prevalent, but rather
affordability. Poor communities need free Internet access.
The deployment of Free WiFi is an opportunity to take a big step towards bridging the digital
divide, and helps us build a better future for South Africa.
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WHAT IS PROJECT ISIZWE?
Project Isizwe (Zulu translation for ‘nation’, ‘tribe’, ‘people’) is a non-profit organisation, which
aims to bring the Internet to people across South Africa, by facilitating the rollout of Free WiFi
for public spaces in low-income communities.
We work with governments (Local, Provincial and National) to provide WiFi in low-income
communities for the purpose of education, economic development and social inclusion; and to
use the Internet as a catalyst for change.
Our non-profit structure allows us to pool bandwidth, utilize local installers and cooperate with
Local and Provincial Governments, without the traditional excessive mark-ups. We are able to
do this through our network of Telecom partners, which have a range of expertise and patents
pending on key elements of the required infrastructure.
For more information, visit our website at www.projectisizwe.org, watch our animated
explainer video, or read some of the media coverage links below.
MEDIA COVERAGE
“Then along came Project Isizwe, bringing free internet to every public space in the country as
a not-for-profit, requiring no login…the massive connectivity project appears to be a smashing
success, prompting Isizwe to consider expanding its model throughout the country.”
The Internet as a Human Right, Good Magazine December 2014
“Project Isizwe is an incredible example of the local innovation required to build products and
services to deliver on those desires. The public/private/community partnerships that are the
hallmark of Isizwe will scale to many townships across South Africa. Building on this base,
there are many exciting information-based services that can be provided. Things are just
getting started.”
Going where the Money isn’t, by Steven Synofsky for Recode.net July 2014
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FREE INTERNET ZONES (FIZ)
The Free Internet Zone or ‘FIZ’ has a network design suited to enable a simple user
experience, thereby facilitating an affordable and robust product.
A FIZ is an outdoor WiFi hotspot that allows multiple WiFi-enabled devices to connect
simultaneously. From these access points a connection to the Internet or any local and
cached content is enabled through well-engineered network design and architecture
solutions.
Here’s how it works: WiFi devices connect to the access point that connects to the Internet
A FIZ can support 5,000 devices at each location with up to 200 concurrent active devices.
The FIZ offers a best effort solution, which means that the user experience is dependent on
the number of concurrent active connections to the FIZ at any given moment. ‘On-net’
content, which is content cached or stored on the network, will always provide a better user
experience than any content accessed over the Internet. Security for the users connected to
the FIZ is adequate to protect from hacking and viruses. Abuse is prevented through the
click, verify, surf process, which requires users to click a button that verifies their device
before they are allowed to surf for free. Adult and other inappropriate content is blocked over
the network.
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END USER SERVICE
The following fair usage and service rules apply:
1. 250MB per WiFi enabled device per day for Internet access
2. Unlimited access to on-net content
3. Up to 1mbps download speed
4. Up to 256kbps upload speed
5. No bulk data protocols allowed over the Internet
ON-NET CONTENT PORTAL
Besides allowing users 250MB per day of free browsing, we have developed a specialised
content portal available for unlimited access, designed to give Free WiFi users the opportunity
to make the most of what the internet has to offer.
Tobetsa (Sotho translation of ‘”Click”) is the default landing page and ‘digital headquarters’ of
Project Isizwe’s Free Internet Zones and curates some of the most useful local and
international content for our Free WiFi users.
Key content pillars identified:
Jobs and Training
Gumtree Jobs portal, CV building, skills development
Education
Online textbooks, learning videos, research, literacy
Health and Welfare
HIV & AIDS/ TB info, human rights, rape and sexual
abuse
News and Entertainment
News, sport, gaming, social
Government Resources
Maps, Transport Services, Emergency Services
WiFi TV
Video-on-demand service covering range of topics
produced by community journalists
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This content will give local communities the power to access information, education and jobs
online, empowering them to up-skill themselves and take part in the mainstream economy like
never before.
Tobetsa will be used across all of our WiFi zones, and when other new areas/regions come
onto our network, they will get a slightly adapted version depending on their user profile and
E-Governance information. For example, Tobetsa as accessed in WiFi zones in the City of
Tshwane will have content tailored to that region while the Western Cape Government portal
will have slightly different content specific to that region.
Live Link: http://www.tobetsa.co.za/
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CURRENT PROJECTS
CITY OF TSHWANE
The latest project undertaken by Project Isizwe provided Free WiFi to the City of Tshwane.
We successfully deployed Phase 1 and 2 of the project, covering key locations selected by
the City of Tshwane. Internet speeds recorded by independent media practitioners
consistently exceed 5mbps symmetrical. Project Isizwe is currently rolling out Phase 3 of the
Tshwane free WiFi project with a further 400 Free Internet Zones being deployed across the
City of Tshwane.
User volumes continue to grow, with more than 500,000 unique users connecting to the
service and more than 40,000 unique users recorded in a single day.
An independent report by Dalberg on the early impact of the Phase 1 deployment showed
that there are significant benefits to education and economic development. Additionally
Dalberg estimate 122 jobs were created in the first 6 months post the launch of Phase 1
which equates to R1,300 per job created.
WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
The Western Cape Government appointed Project Isizwe to deploy eight Free Internet
Zones (FIZ)s to two towns in different local municipalities. The project is live, creating
capacity for more than 40,000 users in the towns of Atlantis and Robertson. Each town has
four FIZs rolled out around schools, which serve both the learners and the wider community.
This complements the Western Cape’s Broadband Initiative, which aims to provide
broadband to all citizens over the coming years.
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PROJECT ISIZWE AND EDUCATION
‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013)
Through WiFi-enabled smartphones, learners are able to engage in a number of
activities, such as accessing course assignments, completing activities, playing games,
reading educational materials, and communicating with teachers and classmates. A
December 2010 report on “The impact of Broadband on Education,” published by the US
Chamber of Commerce, showed that learners pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 learners are
using the Internet to pursue a wide array of activities, which enable a number of
improvements in learning.
The many and varied uses of the Internet by learners and educators which have shown a
positive impact on student achievement and the development of their real-world skills,
through:
•
Increasing learning environments that students are exposed to
•
Enhancing learning opportunities for disabled students
•
Offering more interactive and personalized instruction
•
Enhancing learning outcomes
•
Promoting the development of skills necessary in the 21st century
•
Providing curricular resources for educators
•
Offering digital textbook downloads and updates
Learners with access to the Internet via Free Internet Zones will benefit greatly from
Increasing learning environments that students are exposed to the resources, tools and
opportunities available via the Internet. In the 21st century, the Internet is an integral part of
any learner’s ability to prepare for the future in a technologically driven world.
A Dalberg report released in April 2013 fully supports the provision of Internet for improved
quality education. “Nearly 60% of education organisations surveyed responded that access
to the Internet is ‘essential’ for their work,” the report states.
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According to pass rates published by the Department of Basic Education, South African
education is at a tipping point. While education indicators show improvement when
compared to the preceding years, there are still major areas of concern. The access to
the information and learning opportunities available on the Internet aim to directly address
these concerns.
PROJECT ISIZWE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Access to the Internet has a significant impact on economic development over time helping
to increase GDP, create jobs, allow entrepreneurs to emerge and increase the number of
services offered. It also provides a platform for selling goods (E-Commerce) and enables
individuals and businesses to source better prices and become price competitive.
The World Bank has shown that a 10% increase in broadband penetration results in a
1.28% increase in GDP. Online communication and collaboration is critical for
entrepreneurship with basic services like email and instant messaging unlocking a potential
explosion in opportunity and job creation in environments where the unemployment rate is
25.6% (South Africa June 2013). Ericsson, a global telecommunications company, has
reported that every 1,000 new broadband connections has an impact of creating 80 new
jobs and also improves the volume of new businesses registered by around 5%.
Access to the Internet makes e-services more accessible to communities that would
otherwise not be able to utilize this new way of service delivery offered by many
municipalities. This helps with the number of customers obtaining and paying for bills on
time and being able to access information without increasing call volumes to a department
Call Centre. These improvements in turn help to improve efficiency of service delivery and
enhance the quality of life.
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PROJECT ISIZWE AND TOURISM
The majority of visitors to South Africa come from the “developed world” where
social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are widely used. When travelling
abroad, ease of access to the Internet is high on their priority list. South Africa needs to
accommodate this requirement, as tourist’s ability to send photos and upload videos not
only goes out to their immediate family but to the community at large. The Internet is key in
allowing travellers and tourists to effectively research and plan their trips, activities and
accommodation and allows visitors the chance to connect with potential destinations.
“South African Tourism is proud to be one of the leading online Destination Marketing
Organization around the world today. By way of example, the growth of people that use
Expedia to book their travel to South Africa grew by 32% from January to June 2013, as
compared to the same period the previous year. Expedia’s growth rate for domestic
bookings is up 53% from January to June 2013 compared to the same period last year.
These are important indicators and I have no doubt that our ability to have exposure to
growth rates like these can only benefit our industry going forward.” South African Board of
Tourism.
Access to Free WiFi will add significant value to the visitor’s experience and will create a
platform for instantaneous sharing of experiences and moments with the rest of the world
via social media mechanisms thus creating higher interest and exposure for the tourism
industry in South Africa.
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SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNET USERS – FAST FACTS
South Africans with home connections are the most frequent users of the Internet.
Those relying on Educational Institutions and Internet Cafés are the least connected.
It takes up to five years before new Internet users gain the confidence and experience in the
medium to become active participants in the Internet economy, according to the Digital
Participation Curve – a model developed by World Wide Worx, an Isizwe research partner.
Consequently, Internet usage in South Africa has significantly changed over the past five
years. Today, most users are black, almost half are women and 20 percent live below the
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poverty line. In the past five years, the South African Internet community has become much
more representative of the population as a whole.
The number of Internet users has been steadily increasing since 2008, the number of
experienced users will continue to rise in 2013, and for the following five years. The result is
that an Internet economy, which makes up two percent of the South African economy with a
net worth of R59-billion in 2011, will grow to as much as 2.5 percent of the economy by
2016.
Despite this the South African broadband penetration rate is below 15%, which is
inadequate for preparing our youngest generations for the 21st century, from both a learning
and economic development perspective.
Project Isizwe aims to bridge the digital divide through the rollout of Free Internet Zones,
thus ensuring that citizens are connected and well prepared for the future.
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PRICE COMPARISON
Project Isizwe is offering a WiFi solution that is significantly cheaper for the sponsoring
Authorities. It provides its end users – those accessing the WiFi in predominantly lowincome areas – a free alternative to a product they would otherwise have to pay a significant
amount for each month, as highlighted by the graphics below:
This graphic indicates what the average person using 5GB of data a month would have to pay
for the service if they were accessing it on mobile phone, on a fixed line, or via a Project
Isizwe Free Internet Zone (FIZ).
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COVERAGE
Coverage of the FIZ area is always provided as 100m around the WiFi equipment.
Although the WiFi signal from the FIZ may cover a much larger area, the 100m distance is
based on the ability of low-spec end user devices to connect to the FIZ based on the
antenna power limitations on such mobile phones, laptops and tablets.
Technology will improve this over time as we have already seen high-end devices like the
Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S connected and working at over 200m.
EXTERNAL SUPPLIES
To install and enable the Free Internet Zones, power supply to the equipment and access to
the respective FIZ locations, both indoors and outdoors as well as the space around the
selected site, will be needed.
These are external to the core FIZ deliverables and generally provided by the party
contracting with Project Isizwe.
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Conclusion
The objective is to create a significant impact on the communities in which free WiFi is rolled
out, by empowering them with access to the Internet. This project aims to create a starting
point for service delivery via e-mechanisms, with the intention that many more benefits will
flow from it in future.
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GLOSSARY
3G coverage
Short form of third generation telecommunications
technology
Digital divide
The gap between those who have access to computers
and the internet and those who don’t
Isizwe
Zulu translation of the word “Nation”
Tobetsa
Sotho translation for the word “Click”
Bandwidth
Width of the range of the frequencies that an electronic
signal uses
Telecom partners
A selection of telecommunications services and providers
used to deliver a service
Free WiFi Zone
An outdoor WiFi hotspot that allows multiple WiFi-enabled
devices to connect simultaneously
Cached content
An information technology for the temporary storage to
reduce bandwidth usage and server load
Concurrent active devices
A number of devices linked to an active WiFi signal
On-net content
Content hosted on a special web page
Bulk data protocols
Large amounts of data to be shared or sent via an internet
connection
Content portal
A specially designed web page which brings information
together from diverse sources in a uniform way
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