“This
is a revolutionary partnership with the JUTC to provide free Wi-Fi access to
passengers. Our vision is to eventually see data services in Jamaica become
like oxygen, available to everyone, everywhere. In a few months, a sizable
number of Jamaicans will have a new avenue to access connectivity - email,
browsing, and messaging - facilitating a more productive and enjoyable commute”
Growth Tech's Chief
Executive Officer Neil Lawrence, speaking at the contract-signing ceremony at
the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology in St Andrew.
Looks
like I might soon have another reason to take the JUTC Bus again!
Growth
Tech Limited has signed a partnership deal with the JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transit
Company) to provide Wi-Fi connectivity on approximately 450 buses as reported in
the article “JUTC
Passengers To Enjoy Free Wi-Fi Service”, published Thursday March 8, 2018
by Jason Cross, The Jamaica Gleaner.
The implementation is slated to start in June 2018 in the KMTR (Kingston Metropolitan Area) with other JUTC buses being upgraded by December 2018.
So
how does Growth Tech plan to make money from this venture if the Wi-Fi service
is free?
Growth Tech Limited and
the JUTC - Free Wi-Fi with a sprinkling of local Advertising
The
answer is advertising!
Commuters
may have to install an app to access the free W-Fi and thus be bombarded with a
lot of local ads as pointed out by Growth Tech's Chief Executive Officer Neil
Lawrence, quote: “We are a business, so there is an opportunity for us to earn.
We will be selling ads”.
This
is not much different from the model Red Stripe uses to promote Beer-Fi, which
is advertising based free Wi-Fi at Bars that sell their brewed products as
noted in my blog
article entitled “How
Red Stripe Beer-Fi gives Bar Patrons Free Wi-Fi Internet”.
Growth Tech Wi-Fi Hotspots may also be solar powered and can handle up to 100 devices. Most likely they'll be using Digicel 4G Network to provide backhaul to their Network as was the plan back in September 2016 as noted in my blog article entitled “Why JUTC Wi-Fi by September 2016 means Digicel Mobile Money launch imminent”.
Growth
Tech will remotely monitor their Wi-Fi Hotspots which have been tested to
withstand the day to day commute on Jamaica's pothole ridden roads.
As
for porn and other content, forget about it. The usage will be monitored and
abusive behavior such as streaming may be banned; this may just simply be free
Wi-Fi for checking social media and Whatsapp calling.
They
may even have login restrictions similar to the USF (Universal Service Funds)
CAP (Community Access Points) located at various Parks and Public places as
noted in my blog
article entitled “How
Free Wi-Fi and Smart City upgrade coming to New Kingston in Q3 2017”.
The
JUTC benefits as more Jamaicans will ride the Bus just to get the free Wi-Fi,
increasing their revenue as pointed out by JUTC's Managing Director Paul
Abrahams quote: “We are looking for this initiative to increase ridership
significantly, and that is where our interest is, and, possibly, generating
revenue from advertising”.
So
with the JUTC going towards LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) and eventually Hybrid
Gas-Electric Buses by 2020 as predicted in my blog article
entitled “Why
JUTC going Hybrid indicates removal of 60% import duty on Electric Vehicles”,
the future is looking very interesting for commuters of the JUTC.
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