A new service offering free connection to the Internet in various public locations is now available in Seychelles, signalling a step forward in on-the-go connectivity for our islands. Seychelles NATION finds out more in this Q&A with Bernard Moutia of Kokonet, the company promoting the new “Free Wi-Fi Nation” service.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about Free Wi-Fi Nation and what it’s about?
A: Free Wi-Fi Nation is a network of free wireless hotspots around the country in key public places. We have been operating the network for a few months now without announcing it, for testing and experimenting. The number of hotspots is growing, with more and more coming online each month. We’re trying to get as widespread a coverage as possible so that users will have as many options as possible to take advantage of the service.
Q: What are some of the locations people can expect to find a Free Wi-Fi Nation hotspot?
A: Locations that have been up and running include the airports and jetties on both Mahé and Praslin, some town locations like Orion Mall and Premier Building, and at Beau Vallon where we have hotspots at La Plage restaurant, Augerine, Coral Strand and even more to follow. Recently we’ve added one on La Digue at the main square at La Passe, and we also have a hotspot at the Bois de Rose complex and at the Eden Marina as well, where you can access it from Boardwalk and Maharajas. We have a rollout plan to add many more during this year.
Q: How does somebody connect to Free Wi-Fi Nation…do you need to sign up or have a code?
A: There are no codes or sign-ups. All you need is a Wi-Fi enabled device such as a smartphone, tablet or even a computer. To connect to one of the hotspots, you only need to find the “Free Wi-Fi Nation” network ID that displays on your device when you are looking for a Wi-Fi connection. Once you connect, you just have to wait for the landing page to load with a sponsored message, and then you can click through that and begin an internet session of 15 minutes. There’s also a status page when the session begins, that lets you know how much time you have left on each session.
Q: What happens after the 15 minutes? Is there a limit to using the service?
A: Users can log on for as many 15-minute sessions as they want, and there is no limit to usage in that regard. In order to provide the best possible browsing experience for all users, however, we are restricting video playback and peer-to-peer downloading, as these activities tend to use too much bandwidth to be able to provide adequate speeds for the wider group of users.
Q: Speaking of which, how fast is the Internet at your hotspots?
A: Speed can depend on the number of users who are using a given hotspot, but generally it’s comparable to most other public Wi-Fi connections you might find. Right now in these early stages, we’re trying to adjust the bandwidth to match the average number of users that we are getting at each hotspot. The user numbers keep growing and growing across the entire network, as more and more people find out about the service, so right now it’s a balancing act. But once things even out and we have a better idea of user traffic at each hotspot, the speeds will improve further.
Q: Why did your company decide to start this service?
A: The mantra of our company, and this applies to our Kokonet services as well, is that the Internet should be as accessible as possible for everybody. Many people now expect it as part of their daily lives, and paying for Internet access, at least in public places, no longer holds an interest for many users. For Seychelles, the small scale of the country means it’s possible to create a free network that can benefit the country, for both residents and tourists.
Q: But if it’s free, what’s in it for you?
A: Our model for Free Wi-Fi Nation, as a business, is based on advertising. The interest so far has been quite high, though for many companies it represents quite a big change from advertising in conventional media. It’s uncharted territory and something completely different in terms of how people can receive and also engage with messages, and so that’s a part of the process we’re going through now, explaining just how impactful the service can be, and the unique ways that advertisers can use it to their advantage.
Q: So it’s interactive?
A: It can be very interactive, but it depends on what you want to do. For instance, we’ve floated the idea to the Ministry of Tourism about having the loading page for the Free Wi-Fi Nation hotspot at the departures lounge in the International Airport to be a short survey for tourists and exiting passengers. This could provide crucial data for the government and the tourism industry to use. But any advertiser can do something similar at another hotspot for commercial reasons, whether it’s a quick form the user has to fill in, to get an opinion about a product or a service, or a direct link to a special offer on a website or Facebook page.
Q: With hotspots in different locations, how do advertisers know who they are reaching?
A: That’s a good question, and that’s why we sell all of our advertising on a per-location basis. This is another great advantage for commercial-minded marketers. Each location has its own make-up of users at any given hotspot, and so it’s very easy to target exactly the kind of customer profile you want to reach. So, for example, boat charters will want to reach tourists connecting at our hotspots in restaurants and hotels, whereas sellers of consumer goods will want to take advantage of hotspots with higher concentrations of residents. And the adverts can be customised to speak to the users in the specific location where they are. So to be able to suggest a particular brand or a special offer, within a very close proximity to the actual point of purchase, is very powerful indeed.
Q: Could the telecom industry see Free Wi-Fi Nation as a threat to sales of mobile data?
A: I don’t really think so. The motivation for connecting is certainly not the same. Customers who use mobile data regularly will continue to do so, as there’s always going to be a demand for people to connect wherever they are. But for others, like tourists or those who aren’t signed up for a mobile package, this is a very convenient way to be able to quickly check your mail or your Facebook while waiting for a ferry, or a flight, a meal, or even while shopping at STC.
Q: Are the hotspots secure and is there any concern about private information?
A: People should always take some precautions whenever they connect to any public and open Wi-Fi hotspot. Seychelles hasn’t really been subject to much in the way of cyber-crime, but that’s not to say it can’t happen, so we wouldn’t, for instance, recommend that people do online banking or credit card transactions over any Wi-Fi hotspot, and that goes for anywhere in the world. But from our side, we make sure that whatever data is collected by the service remains anonymous and privacy remains intact.
Q: Ultimately where do you see Free Wi-Fi Nation at this time next year?
A: Our hope is that our hotspots have worked themselves into part of the fabric of how Seychelles connects to the Internet while on the move. Ultimately we want the service to be of benefit to everybody. For the users to have a free and convenient means of connecting to the Internet, for the hotspot locations to give organisations and businesses another way to add value for their customers, and for our sponsors and advertisers to be able to each their customers in a very unique way.