SWIFT Hotspot - Fastest Broadband Service in Nigeria?
A new broadband internet called SWIFT Hotspot has just launched in Lagos, Nigeria which claims to be the fastest broadband service available in Nigeria. (You will be able to download a 200MB file in 2 minutes!) Hmm, sounds awesome!
What is SWIFT Hotspot?
SWIFT Hotspot is the wireless broadband internet service from SWIFT Networks, a leading broadband network that provides subscribers with a faster and more reliable way to communicate, collaborate and succeed. They have Broadband Internet, Digital Telephony, Data and Video surveillance solutions which are ideal for businesses, professionals and homes.
What makes SWIFT Hotspot Unique?
SWIFT Hotspot will be the fastest wireless internet service available in Nigeria. You will be able to download a 200MB file in 2 minutes! The service provides access to a low contention ratio shared bandwidth of 1MB burstable to 20MB.
How does SWIFT Hotspot work?
You will need a laptop, mobile phone or even a portable PS2 with wireless internet capabilities to get connected. Go to any SWIFT Networks hotspot with your laptop and connect to the wireless network. You will be prompted for a PIN. Purchase a voucher and enter the PIN to gain access to the internet. First time users will be asked to take a survey during which you will be prompted to register using your email and a password.
Why you need to register?
Being a registered user allows you access SWIFT hotspots using your email and password rather than using a PIN. Once you have minutes credited to your account, you can login using only your email and password at any SWIFT hotspot location.
You can pay in 3 ways; buy a voucher at the location or pay at a SWIFT Networks office, or online with your interswitch card.
CURRENT LIST OF SWIFT HOTSPOT LOCATIONS
- Silverbird Galleria
- Tetrazinni, Akin Adesola, V/Island
- Tetrazinni, Ajao Estate
- Tetrazinni, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi
- Tetrazinni, Kofo Abayomi Street, Apapa
The cost of the service is N150.00 for 30 mins (Cyber cafes charge N70 to N100 for 30 mins)
My Take
This sounds interesting to me and I’ll be checking it out this weekend. If users can download 200MB in 2 minutes, then that’s full throttle speed access to the Internet. I don’t even mind paying more for that kind of speed.
I think for people who use Internet cafes in Lagos that have slow connections, why not pay more and access the Internet faster? I’m hoping that this service could be extended to other parts of the Island and Mainland, so that we can all enjoy the SWIFT Hotspot advantage.
If you’ve used this service, tell us how you find it.
Maybe I might be relocating to Nigeria afterall. Interesting news..
@loy am tetrazini ikoy ryt now. like I wrote in my blog here , the hotspot is real. am there with my PDA tityn II.
This is a good development. A lot of people are here with me on the laptops.
Yeah,
Think have had enough of the free-meal! Fast network, good initiative!
wow. i see things are happening in this city of lagos! big ups Naija !!!!
@Possicon - Great you’ve checked it out and have enjoyed the “free-meal”. I’ll be at Silverbird Galleria this weekend, so should be fun.
I’ll have to do a speed test to believe this.
In my Nigeria travels http://bellybuttonwindow.com/2008/nigeria/ I checked every connection I made, from hotels, to cyber cafes, to even ISP headquarters (and I visited quite a few) and I found 28.8K the norm. In fact, I can’t remember a 56K connection in the whole country.
Whoever goes there next, do a speed test and show us a screen shot. Here’s a speed test that I use: http://bellybuttonwindow.com/2008/nigeria/
make that screen test: http://www.internetfrog.com/mypc/speedtest/
wow…but that’s far from my side
Hi wayan! Things change…its a new nigeria & Lagos! lets flow with the spirit of change! we have all it takes to have a quality isp service in the country!
I don’t believe this.
It would be impossible (practically impossible). Only a tier-1 Internet Service Provider or someone connected directly to the internet backbone can provide such a speed. Even it would be possible, the speeds would not be dedicated. The fastest i think the connection would be is about 200-400kbps per user. 200MBs is an impossibility (even some users abroad have never reached that ability to download 200MBs in 2 Minutes.
when would you people install a hotspot in unilag residental area u should come soon it would be extremely welcome