The initial decision to deploy the network, powered by Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi, came as a result of the desire by the City of Tshwane to deploy a free Wi-Fi service to the some 20,000 citizens who attended the presidential inauguration held at the Union Buildings in May 2014. The Wi-Fi network is now free for use by citizens and tourists coming to visit the Union Buildings.
"The City of Tshwane are exceptionally citizen focused and are ahead of many in their plight to ensure that they provide their people with access to technologies such as Wi-Fi. All of which fosters a digital culture amongst its people," states Zahir Khan, COO at Project Isizwe.
The network infrastructure consists of strategically placed Ruckus ZoneFlex 7782 outdoor access points, centrally managed by a Ruckus ZoneDirector 5000 wireless LAN (WLAN) controller, that Project Isizwe, a Ruckus Big Dog channel partner obtained from value-added distributor Westcon. Due to the short time from order to delivery required by the municipality, the Westcon team, working with Ruckus, was able to ensure installation of the network within six days.
Looking ahead, the public network will now remain live for a further three-year period, and will ensure that all visitors to future events at the Union Buildings can enjoy the benefits of free Wi-Fi provided by the City of Tshwane.
Project Isizwe provides a fully managed service to the City of Tshwane in the form of "Tshwane Free Wi-Fi." The service currently allows users to enjoy 250MB of data per device, per day, with the option of unlimited access to curated on-net content that is made up of learning resources, e-health, e-Tshwane services, news and entertainment amongst others.
