Local Internet users are going mobile en masse. According to BMI-TechKnowledge senior analyst Richard Hurst, the trend in Internet usage is moving from dial-up connections to mobile options.
This opinion is in line with research revealed this morning by MWeb, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and Internet Solutions (IS).
According to a study done by these companies, WiFi hotspots saw usage increase 300% year-on-year, with the hottest WiFi hotspots being at international airports.
Andre Joubert, GM of MWeb Business, says more than four million minutes of WiFi Internet access were sold in March this year, compared to 87 000 minutes in the same month in 2005.
"The convenience, ease of use and the fact that it provides users with a high-speed Internet connection are what make WiFi so appealing," says Joubert.
Also, the introduction of data packages that are valid for a year contributed to the mobile trend, as has the increase in WiFi hotspots by between 15 and 20 every month. There are now more than 250 WiFi hotspots in SA.
Hurst notes the WiFi trend "is driven by the proliferation of mobile wireless networks, as well as PC vendors pushing notebooks which are becoming the device of choice for accessing the Internet".
He says this leads to an increasingly mobile workforce as people can work online at their own convenience. "It is all centred on convenience - that is the driving factor."
The MWeb, ACSA and IS study agrees, pointing out that the Mugg & Bean restaurant chain has seen more than a 150% increase in WiFi usage over the last year.
"It [WiFi] is changing the way we communicate and allowing the small business owner to run a business from an office, caf'e or airport lounge."
The flip-side
However, Hurst says the uptake of mobile Internet connectivity could have unexpected legal implications.
"We can expect to see people in homes setting up WiFi hotspots and sharing it with their neighbours, which is highly illegal. Everyone is treading a delicate line here."
He points out that WiFi from one retail outlet, such as Mugg & Bean, for example, could potentially be picked up at another, nearby restaurant.
"It is illegal for individual WiFi hotspots to cross a public periphery such as a road," says Hurst, "but even in SA people can download software to share their WiFi with their neighbours and they can even charge for it."
He notes: "Wherever people converge, it makes sense to set up WiFi hotspots. Worldwide, the trend is to share it."
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