Google launches free Wi-Fi hotspots

NIGERIA: Google launched a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Nigeria, part of its efforts to increase its presence in Africa’s most populous nation. The US technology firm, owned by Alphabet Inc, has partnered with Nigerian fibre cable network provider, 21st Century, to provide its public Wi-Fi service, Google Station, in six places in the commercial capital Lagos, including the city’s airport. Internet penetration is relatively low in Nigeria. Some 25.7% of the population made use of the internet in 2016, according to World Bank data. The poor internet infrastructure is a major challenge for businesses operating in the country, which is Africa’s largest oil producer. Broadband services are either unreliable or unaffordable to many of Nigeria’s 190 million inhabitants. “We are rolling out the service in Lagos for now, but the plan is to quickly expand to other locations,” Google Vice President for Product Management Anjali Joshi told Reuters in Lagos.  

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2018.

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