Poa! Internet in partnership with Liquid Telecom has launched a new internet delivery model in Kibera slums. The model allows Kibera residents to for as little as Kshs. 10 access 25MB of internet basically breaking bulk for users. The service has so far attracted 7,000 clients using the service. Poa! internet, the pioneers of the service are looking to bring millions of East Africans online over the next years, using innovative technology and ‘kidogo’ product pricing.
To offer the service, Poa! internet uses solar powered hotspots and the company has also provided free Internet access to Kibera schools, health centres, churches, mosques and youth centres. Poa also has other packages including one that allows users to access 20 GB for Kshs. 3,000, which targets small businesses. The data is sold mostly in shops and cyber cafes, in the form of tokens, which the user then uses to access the internet.
poa! is using Liquid Telecom Kenya’s fibre infrastructure, known as a local loop, from a connection near Kibera, to supply the internet. poa! also provides its customers with free access to a wide range of digital content, including educational and healthcare and other socially beneficial materials as well as sports, entertainment and news.
This model has been tested before by both Liquid Telecom and Wananchi’s Zuku but targeting high-end users in malls and select eateries. Wazi WiFi was an initiative of Wananchi Group seeking to allow users to access the internet on a single sign-on. Wazi had deployed over 400 Wi-Fi access points with 200 in Nairobi but it’s no longer existent. Pricing of Wazi Wi-Fi was at Kshs. 50 a day or 500 a month per device. Liquid Telecom, on the other hand, has been offering Hai Wi-Fi in major towns across Kenya, that allows users to use the service for some time before requiring them to pay for the service. There are currently 200 existing Hai hotspots in Nairobi,Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kajiado, and Nyeri.
Liquid Telecom, on the other hand, has been offering Hai Wi-Fi in major towns across Kenya, that allows users to use the service for some time before requiring them to pay for the service. There are currently 200 existing Hai hotspots in Nairobi,Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kajiado, and Nyeri. It will be interesting to see how Poa! fairs with this product especially as it targets low-income earners.
