Liquid Telecom connects Nakuru County to free WiFi

Liquid Telecom Kenya has partnered with the Nakuru County Government to launch high capacity free Wi-Fi in Nakuru.

The public-private partnership between the Nakuru County Government and Liquid Telecom Kenya has seen the design and launch of a high capacity Wi-Fi network that covers a 10-kilometre radius from the central business district (CBD) with a capacity of 1 Gigabyte per second (Gbps).

Currently, this network is connected to a 200 Megabytes per second (Mbps) pool that is upgradable to 1Gbps based on demand, which Liquid Telecom will be monitoring and upgrading as the need arises.

Of paramount consideration in the design of the Wi-Fi network was ensuring adequate capacity and seamless connectivity through the use of equipment that will deliver on user experience.

“Liquid Telecom has put in place outdoor Wi-Fi nodes, which are designed to carry huge capacities with the ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions to guarantee maximum and uninterrupted speeds while surfing. With the built-in meshing technology incorporated in the network systems, users in Nakuru will not experience service interruptions when moving from one point to another within the areas covered in the town,” said Ben Roberts, CEO, Liquid Telecom Kenya.

The network designed by Liquid Telecom Kenya is built around the strategic points accessed by the highest proportions of the town’s population. With 51 nodes installed, the network will serve users in the streets and open public areas such as stadia and parks.

The first phase of the free Wi-Fi project covers the county’s Kenyatta Street, Marikiti Market, the main bus terminus at the CBD, Afraha Stadium, the county headquarters and the Westside Mall, with the second phase expected to cover more streets using street poles and other public infrastructure.

Academic institutions in Nakuru will also enjoy free Wi-Fi access, among them JKUAT Nakuru Campus and Mount Kenya University.

“With the uptake of e-learning by various colleges and universities in Kenya and the wealth of knowledge available online, Internet access in academic institutions has fast become a defining factor in the quality of education that students receive,” said Ben Roberts.

Also expected to be connected to the free Wi-Fi are Naivasha and Gilgil towns, as well as Egerton University in Njoro, which will be connected later in 2015.

The free Wi-Fi connection will give users with Wi-Fi enabled devices open access to the Internet with the exception of unlawful activities such as streaming or downloading of offensive content that violates copyrights.

So far, Liquid Telecom Kenya has invested $400,000 (Kshs 35,600,000) in the project, with more set to be invested during network optimization exercises across 2015. The success of the Nakuru Wi-Fi project is key to Liquid Telecom’s strategy of developing viable business models for the sustainable offering of free Wi-Fi in Africa.

“Free Wi-Fi is a facility that is gaining traction globally. We believe it is right Africa should be at this same frontier of technology and business model,” said Ben Roberts. “This is also vital in achieving Liquid Telecom’s vision of Internet access for all of Africa, which we see as a core driver of economic takeoff and success for the continent.”

The project, a first of its kind in Kenya, will see Nakuru join Kigali in Rwanda and Tshwane in South Africa as one of the first major urban centers in Africa to enjoy access to free public Wi-Fi.