THE INTERNET OF EVERYWHERE

How WiFi and web connections in public spaces are enabling a more connected world.

An MWEB Trends Report

As the internet becomes more avail-able in public spaces, innovative new services and applications are opening up more possibilities to connect with the world around us. In many cases WiFi is the key element that makes innovation possible. As a developing market we still have some way to go, but the Internet Of Everywhere is

starting to become a reality for South Africans. This trend report looks at how global developments in WiFi access and connectivity in public spaces will shape the way in which we use the internet here in South Africa. @MWEBCONNECT / #MWEBWIFI

A CONNECTEDWORLD.

PEOPLE CONNECTED AT 1999 Home, work or an internet café.

2014 Anywhere with WiFi or a 3G connection. The International Space Station was recently connected so you don’t even need to be on earth to post a Selfie.

PEOPLE CONNECTED USING 1999 Chunky looking laptops (except the still funky looking Apple iBook) Desktop PCs (actually these were more like towers under the desk) Brick like mobile phones (except the Nokia 7110 which looked like something out of the Matrix).

2014 Laptops, PCs, Smartphones, Feature phones, Smartwatches, Tablets. You name it someone has probably web-enabled it.

HOW FAST IS THE INTERNET HIGHWAY? 1999 Although DSL and cable were being introduced, almost everyone in South Africa that was connected, was on a 56KB dial-up line. In Japan the first ever mobile internet service was launched called i-mode.

2014 ADSL speeds of up to 40MB per second, with a 100MB capacity currently being trialled.

SOCIAL MEDIA 1999 Geocities the customisable web page service which Yahoo bought for $3 billion (now closed). Myspace launches (and is still going apparently) Napster launches.

2014 Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, Whatsapp, Snapchat, Foursquare, Soundcloud, need we go on?

WHAT DO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ON THE WEB? 1999 Dancing babies. The value of the latest internet start-up to go public (It’s final months before the dotcom bubble burst).

People (allegedly) hacking into the White House/ Pentagon.

2014 Selfies. The value of the latest social media start-up to go public. US government (allegedly) hacking into people’s data. Photos of food you’re about to eat on Instagram.

HOW MUCH HAS THE INTERNET CHANGED IN 15 YEARS?Although the internet has been around longer, 1999 was really a turning point. One of the key events was the first availability of WiFi in the home (although it took a few more years to become common). So how far have we come since 1999?

HOW DO SOUTH AFRICAN MOBILE USERS ACCESS DATA?

48%

use Mobile Network

use WiFi inPublic hotspots

12% 11%

use WiFi at Home

Those who use WiFi use a high percentage of their data on WiFi, but the majority of consumers currently access on the go data via their mobile network. *TNS Mobile data study 2013

INTERNET CAPABLE DEVICES OWNERSHIP & LIKELIHOOD TO BUY.

89%

40%

Mobile

54%

Smartphone

27%

2%

Tablet

8%

18%

Desktop

5%

17%

Laptop

11%

4%

SmartTV

10%

Have it

Want it

Along with smartphones, tablets are the devices which are most desired and have a high intention to buy.

*TNS Mobile data study 2013

SEATTLE REDUCES POWER USAGEThe City of Seattle has launched a pilot project to analyse and reduce energy usage. Data is collected from hundreds of data sets collected automatically from a number of buildings in the downtown area. From this data, recom-mendations on power savings can be made – with the aim to reduce power usage by 25%.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft-green/ar-chive/2013/07/09/microsoft-brings-smart-build-ings-to-seattle.aspx

CONNECTED STREET SIGNSPoints, developed by BreakfastNY in the US, is a WiFi enabled digital sign. Its information and physical direction changes are based on trending locations on Foursquare and other social networks.

http://breakfastny.com/points-sign/

HOW WIFI IS ENABLING SMART CITIES.

SMART PARKINGUsing a combination of wirelessly connected sensors in parking spots and apps, US com-pany Streetline is reinventing parking. Their research indicates that up to 10% of traffic in a city has reached its destination and is circling the block looking for parking (and adding to congestion) so this has real potential to get cities moving again.

http://mashable.com/2013/11/20/streetline-video/

GOODBYE RUSH HOURLyon in France has partnered with IBM to create a traffic management system. Using re-al-time traffic data, controllers can adjust traffic signals to keep traffic flowing.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412142,00.asp

What is a “Smart City“? Essentially it comes down to the clever use of resources (including human and social capital), as well as the “smart” implementation of transport and ICT infrastructures to fuel sustainable economic development, while encouraging a better standard of living for the citizens.

SQUARESquare (the brainchild of one of the founders of Twitter) is a payments service which allows your mobile device (a tablet or smartphone) to accept card transactions and manage data around transactions. Perfect for small business owners

www.square.com

PEAPODThis US online grocery store has virtual shelves in public spaces such as subways in Philidelphia. Shoppers download an app which can be used to scan pictures of grocery products on a poster which are then delivered to your home.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670914/peapod-creates-virtual-grocery-aisles-for-subway-stops

SCRABBLE WIFINot the most predictable name to appear here perhaps. Scrabble WiFi launched in Paris in 2013. Gamers using a mobile app could convert their word scores into free WiFi minutes.

http://www.chrisrawlinson.com/2013/06/scrabble-wifi/

CONNECTING PHYSICAL SPACES WITH VIRTUAL SERVICES.

Countries that adopted WiFi early and at scale have seen massive shifts in how the internet is used in public spaces; from how shops are run to how leisure time is spent. These are just some of the game changers that are riding the wave of innovation.

CONNECTED COFFEE MACHINESStarbucks are rolling out smart coffee machines that use a web connection to remember regular’s coffee preferences. Also in the works are connected fridges that can detect when milk is off.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-22/starbucks-links-coffee-makers-to-web-fueling-27b-market.html

TOOTHTAGToothtag is an app (currently Android only) that allows you to automatically perform actions on your smartphone when you enter specific WiFi zones. So for example changing your voicemail re-direct in your home WiFi, or actioning a Facebook check-in whenever you visit your favourite coffee shop.

http://www.appszoom.com/android_appli-cations/tools/toothtag_zbba.html

MOOD FEEDBACKThe Lightwave is a wristband that gives performers and event manager’s instant feedback on the mood of a crowd. It also provides data on temperature, audio levels and movements of people. The information enables the events team to deal with problems quickly and potentially alter a performance before the booing starts.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/08/ lightwave/

CONNECTED CROWDS & FLASH COMMUNITIES.

SELFIE TICKETThis innovation will make paper tickets feel very 20th century. Users simply upload a selfie via an app and then show it at the door where they can be greeted by name. Much more personal and a valid excuse for taking pictures of yourself.

http://www.ticketleap.com/info/selfie-tick-et

ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIAAvoid Humans is a smartphone app launched at this year’s SXSW in Texas. It tracks and shares the places at the festival with the least amount of people. As SXSW is so crowded, this helps festival goers find quieter spots and avoid the crushes.

http://www.avoidhumans.com/

HIGHLIGHTThe Highlight app runs quietly in the background as you go about your day, sourcing information about the people around you. If your friends are nearby, it will notify you. If someone interesting crosses your path, it will tell you more about them. While it’s not specifically designed for events, it really comes into its own in large crowds such as at conferences. It’s not exactly the best app for introverts but it is an interesting way of meeting people that might share your interests.

http://highlig.ht/about.html

LIVE.LYThe Live.ly app allows concert goers to buy a recording of the show they’re watching straight from the mixing desk. This provides great added value from the gig organisers for music fans, extra income for bands and venues, and reduces poor quality pirated video.

http://www.getlive.ly/

Many events, from concerts to conferences, now have a parallel virtual event taking place with conversations forming; strangers meeting each other and content being shared. The best examples of this trend bring together individuals into a temporary community connected by a common experience.

COFFEE SHOPS & CO-WORKING SPACESSix out of ten local entrepreneurs* prefer to work out of coffee shops because they are an easy location to access WiFi and are good places to work for a few hours.

Co-working spaces are a growing trend globally, providing not only the coffee and WiFi, but going beyond that and offering other services for entrepreneurs. Part of the popularity is also the networking opportunity and social experience of working alongside other entrepre-neurs.

BIG DEMANDS ON DATASeven out of ten entrepreneurs use an average of five gigabytes of data a month, while more heavy users average between eight and ten. The five gig users attribute their low usage to “free WiFi” dependency reducing the cost of their paid WiFi. 60% of entrepreneurs find that they can go through 500MB in a day when working from remote locations.

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE COFFICE.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING ONLINE?Most entrepreneurs find that the bulk of their application usage is mail, browsing and using cloud-based services. Downloading and sending attachments makes up the bulk of their data usage, as well as file sharing on Dropbox and similar applications. Others also mention catching up on the day’s events through social media and keeping up with their respective industries.

USER-FRIENDLY APPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS ON THE MOVE:

Many entrepreneurs work from public places that offer internet connectivity: it makes a good alternative meeting place if they don’t have an office; they’re often on the move; and it quite often satisfies the simple need of being around other people.

www.dropbox.com [file sharing]

www.google.com/drive [file sharing/back-up]

www.teuxdeax.com [simple to do lists]

www.wunderlist.com [to do lists]

www.asana.com [free project management tool]

www.evernote.com [note taking application]

www.freshbooks.com [cloud accounting]

www.ilovecoffee.co.za [where to go, what to order]

*Source Memeburn

*COFFICE = Coffee Shop used as an office

This fictional day in the life of a South African entrepreneur and internet user illustrates how we use different devices and ways of connecting for different situations and tasks.

A DAY IN THE LIFE.

3G Connection

WiFi connection

Checks Waze, to avoid traffic on way into town.

Home

7am

Restaurant

OfficeSupermarket

Home

Coffee Shop

8.10am

8.30am

Navigates to restaurant

using Google Maps.

11.30am

12.10pm

1pm - 6pm7.05pm

7.30pm - 11pm

6.35pm

Uses Waze app to check traffic.

Checks Gmail.

Checks tasks for the day using Asana.

Checks-in on Facebook.

Uploads files that have been worked on remotely.

Uses Whatsapp to discuss evening meal.

Checks recipe on Food24.com

Uses Tune In to play a music radio station.Use Flipboard app to check new articles.

Shares Instagram photo of meal.

Uses Evernote to capture notes from a meeting.Checks Gmail.

Uses Dropbox to work on documents.

Updates tasks on Asana.

Uses Evernote to record meeting notes.Uses Skype to call supplier.

Checks Facebook and Instagram.Marks complete tasks on Asana.

Watches YouTube videos.

The wearable tech trend is moving fast from just a fad to a reality. It is a world of devices and apps that gather data on us while we are on the move. From startup companies, to established giants such as Google and Nike, everyone is getting in on the wearable tech trend. Most wearable tech will require internet connectivity creating an “always on” world.

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY & HOW IT CHANGES WEB USE.

GOOGLE GLASSWe couldn’t not mention the daddy of wearables from Google. Not yet available to the general public, but it has been available to selected developers for the last year. Google Glass augments your vision with information from the internet and can also record and stream what you are seeing.

http://www.google.co.za/glass/start/

FITBIT ONEThis tiny device tracks your physical activity (including sleep) and syncs wirelessly with the internet to help guide you on the path to fitness.

http://www.fitbit.com/one

KAPTURE This device constantly records audio, keeping up to 60 seconds before wiping data. If you want to keep a recording of something you just press a button to save it for future editing.

https://kaptureaudio.com/

WHAT TO WEAR THIS SEASON?

NARRATIVE CLIPThis is a tiny wearable camera that automatically takes 2 photos every minute to record your daily life.

http://getnarrative.com/

PEBBLE SMARTWATCHThis is a multi-purpose smartwatch with the capability to track fitness, get notifications from your phone and connect to social networks like Twitter or Foursquare.

https://getpebble.com

WHAT IS FON?There are places in the world where it’s possible to hop from public WiFi hotspot to public WiFi hotspot without ever using your cellular data. At the moment though, those places are still in the minority and aren’t always easily accessible to visitors from the outside. That’s essentially the problem that Spanish company Fon aims to solve. Founded in 2006, Fon has a presence on four continents and has a community of around 12 million members.

That community is at the core of Fon’s business model. Each of those 12-million members, which the network calls “Foner-os”, share a part of their bandwidth as a separate WiFi signal. In return, they are able to securely access any other Fon WiFi hotspot both inside their own countries and around the world.

MAKING THE INTERNET MORE FONIn order to join the community, members do however have to install a Fon-enabled router. That’s because Fon-enabled routers have special software which enables the Fon Service. Fon insists though that this doesn’t place any additional strain on your home WiFi network. The public hotspot that is created will only utilise the unused capacity on your connection, Fon says.

You also shouldn’t get people latching on to your private net-work. The public Fon hotspot you create from your broadband connection is operated as a completely separate WiFi channel. This should ensure that the roaming user of your hotspot will not have the ability to affect your residential connection. For the same reason, your home WiFi signal shouldn’t be affected.

MWEB is the exclusive South African partner of Fon.

WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROMFon founder Martin Varsavsky reportedly had the idea for the network when he was sitting in a Paris café one afternoon and trying to get online. Irritated at the fact that all the available WiFi networks were password protected, Varsavsky had the idea that if he could use just a little bit of the bandwidth of the people around them and offer them the opportunity to do the same in a safe way, people wouldn’t ever have to stress about finding free WiFi again.

For more information on Fon visit: http://www.fon.com/

THE SHARING ECONOMY COMES TO WIFI CONNECTIONS.

Brought to you by

MWEB ADSL customers, with a Fon–enabled router, can use their home connection out of home and get Uncapped WiFi in a range of MWEB WiFi areas, including:

• International Fon hotspots • AlwaysOn hotspots

or visit www.mweb.co.za/MwebWiFi/AboutMwebWiFi.aspxConnect with us

MWEB IS THE EXCLUSIVE SOUTH AFRICAN PARTNER OF FON.

• MWEB WiFi Zones • MWEB Fon hotspots

To see how Fon works CLICK HERE For more information on Fon visit: http://www.fon.com