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Google launches free Wi-Fi station in Lagos
Google is boosting internet access in Nigeria’s biggest cities with free public WiFi, as they have launched Google Station in 5 different locations.
Google Station, the web giant’s public WiFi service, has gone live in Nigeria, and people can now enjoy free WiFi powered by Google.
As it has done in four other countries India, Indonesia, Mexico and Thailand where the service has been launched, Google will partner with local service providers for infrastructure and locations while it offers a cloud-based platform and devices to provide and manage hot-spots.
Google Station will be expanded to 200 locations across five additional Nigerian cities; Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kaduna, Enugu, Ibadan by the end of 2019.
The 5 places to get Google Station free WiFi in Lagos are; Ikeja City mall, Computer Village, Domestic Airport, The Palms, Lekki, Landmark Center.
Google Station is not the Google’s first internet access-focused initiative in Africa. In Ghana and Uganda, it has launched Project Link through which it builds fiber-optic networks to help local internet service providers and mobile operators provide faster broadband.
The company is also in talks with telecom operators in Kenya to launch Project Loon, an ambitious plan to beam internet to users using solar-powered high-altitude balloons. Facebook also has a history of internet access projects in Africa, including Express WiFi and Free Basics.
While these projects are couched as moves to help more Africans come online, they are also plays to increase revenue. Increased internet access means more Africans will spend time online, likely using tech companies’ products and thus driving revenues through advertising and paid services.
Last year, during his first visit to Nigeria, Google CEO Sundar Pichai launched YouTube Go, an “offline first” version of the popular video sharing platform for users with slow internet connections.
