poa! internet, the low-cost Internet service provider in the low-income slums of Kibera and Kawangware, Nairobi, has entered the home Internet space in Kenya, a shift away from its public WiFi model.
The firm reports to have registered over 1500 new home Internet connections to poa!’s Sh1500 a month wireless home internet service. Earlier the firm had public WiFi subscribers of Sh10 an hour and Sh50 a day.
“Getting Kibera residents online, with our unlimited wireless home connection service, represents a major break-through in ending Africa’s digital divide between the rich and urban connected, and the poor and rural unconnected.” said Andy Halsall, poa!’s Chief Executive Officer.
With poa!’s wireless home Internet service, slum dwellers are now able to connect up to five devices to their home Wi-Fi router at any time, enjoying a stable and strong signal as well as poa!’s famous unlimited connection, meaning their customers are no longer counting MB’s.
“We believe by offering to such an affordable and truly unlimited home service we are transforming the way our customers use the Internet,” said Andy. “Our customers, who live in both standalone houses and apartment blocks, often look for a service that allows them to access social media, stream online media and carry out research, which, in the absence of local providers, can see them paying more than anyone on ad hoc MB focused data bundles.”
After subscribing to the service, poa! Home customers are provided with their own private Wi-Fi router, allowing any family member in the home to access the Internet without paying for multiple accounts.
In delivering public Wi-Fi hotspots across Kibera and Karangware, areas that are home to over one million low-income Kenyans, poa! has deployed over 120 access points, many of which are installed at schools, clinics and other community locations. These institutions act as hotspots for poa! customers to use their truly unlimited data plans that start from just Sh10 an hour, Sh50 a day.
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Plans are now underway to expand poa!’s Internet service into other rural and low-income communities beyond Kibera and Kawangware.
“We are committed to extending Internet connections to more low-income towns, and especially into people’s homes, where using the Internet has become an essential necessity. Our aim is to enhance Kenyans’ lives by providing affordable access to Internet for digital entertainment, job opportunities for the youth, and accessing entrepreneurial and educational resources”, said Andy.
