Isabelo is a smart bench that’s Wi-Fi enabled and aims to bridge the technology divide by providing free Wi-Fi in public spaces in African cities. It also brings clients closer to their consumer markets through tailored research which is conducted off the Wi-Fi hotspot.
And now on the corner of Adderley and Wale St the stand-alone entirely solar powered, free Wi-Fi hotspot is been piloted in the Cape Town CBD; complete with USB charging points, easy seating and night lighting.
The City of Cape Town is launching the Smart Bench to complement its investment in fibre and wireless connectivity, as well as free Wi-Fi sites. Isabelo has joined with Cape Town Partnership and Wesgro to provide a Wi-Fi range of 15 metres around the bench with connection speeds of up to 10mbps.
A first for the continent, the Isabelo Smart Bench was invented by Louise Meek two years ago while she was studying for a Masters’ Degree in Urban Infrastructure Design and Management. And Meek was one of eight finalists to receive funding from Joburg’s The Green City Startup in March 2015.
The bench was then launched at The Grove Square in Braamfontein and it has helped attract and bring life back into public spaces proving to be a popular meeting place with an average of 50 users per hour simply sitting down and logging onto the Isabelo free Wi-Fi network with their smart phones.