Wesgro, in conjunction with the Cape Town Partnership, will pilot the Isabelo Smart Bench, a stand-alone, solar powered free WiFi hotspot for public use on the corner of Adderley and Wale Streets in the Cape Town CBD in March.
The hotspot also contains USB charging points, night lighting and seating areas. Isabelo has joined with Cape Town Partnership and Wesgro to provide a WiFi range of 15 metres around the bench with connection speeds of up to 10mbps.
Judy Lain, Chief Marketing Officer for Wesgro, believes Isabelo will generate real-time data from visitors and enable them to share information around events in the province. “Isabelo is a world-class installation providing free WiFi, accessible to all,” said Lain.
“The bench is an exciting experiment in place making,” added Bulelwa Makalima-Ngwewana, CEO of Cape Town Partnership. Louise Meek, inventor of the Isabelo Smart Bench, said Isabelo aimed to “reduce the digital divide in African cities and create inclusive, vibrant public spaces where everyone feels welcome to sit down and get connected”.
