When you run one of the leading cities on the continent, you need to ensure that you have the sharpest and smartest tools of the trade.
That is the thinking that went into kitting out the oval-shaped Council Chamber at the Metro Centre with an ultramodern, high speed, new generation Wi-Fi that improves internet connectivity and digital communication.
“We have entrenched Joburg as a leading Smart City in the continent. Visitors to the chamber can now enjoy fast connectivity and be more productive,” says Cllr Funzela Ngobeni, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance, who is also the political head of Metro Trading Company (MTC).
The MTC, a City entity charged with managing the City’s broadband infrastructure, installed the fast-speed Wi-Fi in the chamber in August 2018, two years after the structure was built.
In the past, councillors, officials, and visitors of the chamber struggled to connect to the internet because of the unavailability of Wi-Fi access points, which made digital communication difficult, adds MMC Ngobeni.
However, that is now a thing of the past after the MTC set an industry benchmark for Wi-Fi connectivity, which enables the playing of full HD and 4K videos without buffering. The speed can carry the download of a 2-Gigabyte file through over 100 megabytes of broadband speed, all in just under 3 minutes. The connection can also support seamless video calling, online streaming, and faster download and upload speeds as well as smooth web browsing. Each user gets access to at least 1 Gigabyte of data per session.
MMC Ngobeni says the newly installed Wi-Fi in the Council Chamber has enough bandwidth to carry many connected devices through a stable connection.
“You don't expect your TV to buffer when switching it on; so why should you get that experience when surfing the internet?” MMC asks. He says a fibre line of over 100 Megabytes per Second (Mbps) can simultaneously provide enough bandwidth to multiple heavy internet users.
“This is arguably one of the best Wi-Fi networks you can get in the country, it even rivals that of the private sector”, he says, adding that the City plans to monetize the network as a way of making it self-sustainable. The money generated from the sale will be ploughed back into the advancement of the WIFI environment.
“We're trying to be better than the best”, he adds. The Wi-Fi reach has been limited to just inside the Chamber to minimize the security risk of having hangers-on around the building. The future of WI-FI is very bright. It is growing in usage and popularity due to the result of decreasing costs and the freedom it gives to users.
