Nowadays, the digital divide is still a reality. Most people in developing countries do not get access to the Internet, but also in developed countries, a significant percentage of the population has no access to broadband Internet.
For example in the United States, the cost of household broadband connection is the highest in the world -more than $55 a month, and a significant part of the population cannot afford it.
Innovation and technology are disrupting a wide range of markets like banking, retail, recruitment services, real estate, governments, educational learning, among others. Although many practices, products and services have evolved, without digital access, the long list of modern activities are impossible for around 4 billion people in the world who don’t have access to the Internet.
This can certainly be translated into a real disadvantage for people’s everyday life as it can mean missing out on information, losing opportunities to connect with others, or the inability to complete processes that rely on digital channels. The growing digital divide should be of high concern for both governments and private entities, which should advocate for closing this gap.
As part of the strategies to help narrow the digital divide around the world, access to free WiFi in public spaces plays a vital role in helping to bridge this gap. Governments provide WiFi access to citizens, who ultimately can access the Internet for free through their mobile devices at no cost. Citizens can also benefit from commercial WiFi in shopping malls, railway stations, coffee shops, etc, which is very often offered by businesses to consumers in exchange for personal data. With Tanaza cloud management software, open or password-protected networks can be easily set up in public spaces.
In line with its vision of a globally connected world where WiFi is ubiquitous and democratic, Tanaza (founded in 2010 in Milan, Italy) is providing its software license-free to NGOs and charities that work with disadvantaged communities globally.
These organizations will be able to set up open or password-protected networks on top of their existing (or new) WiFi hardware and will be able to manage and monitor these networks and WiFi clients remotely, through Tanaza’s cloud platform.
Using Tanaza will be 100% free-of-charge, with no limits on the number of Access Points, SSIDs and connected WiFi clients.
