Free Wi-Fi is in Mexico. Google brings free Wi-Fi to Mexico.
This is their first stop in Latin America. The company launched the Google Station. This is a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots across the country, starting in Mexico City. The Google Station was launched March 13, 2018. Journalists attended the conference for its launching.
This endeavor by Google is the company’ s way of reaching out to more users. Bringing free Wi-Fi to different places is their way of promoting their company and its products. This will also improve connectivity between emerging markets.
Google Station launched in Mexico has 56 hotspots and others planned according to Google. This is an ad-supported network of Wi-Fi hotspots in high-traffic locations.
This program started in India and Indonesia. Mexico is the third market and the first in Latin America. The Mexican market has been dominated by billionaire Carlos Slim’s America Movil. But a 2013-2014 telecom reform loosened the grip of America Movil in the Mexican market. Mexico has made great strides in connectivity since then.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), on their report last fall, internet users in Mexico rose by 20 million. This is during 2013 to 2016. But OECD said it still lags behind other OECD countries when it comes to internet access.
Vice President of Product Management at Google, Anjali Joshi, was the one who announced the launching of the Google Station in Mexico on March 13, 2018 during a news conference. “we are finding that public Wi-Fi remains still a very important way to get online.”, Joshi said.
Since Mexico-based SitWifi provided equipment for the hotspots, they saw Mexico as a good entry point for the product in Latin America.
Google’s initial batch of Wi-Fi zones can be found across the country. From Ciudad Juarez airport at the US to the luxurious shopping centers in Mexico City.
Today, roughly 8 million users have been counted by Google in India where the program began in 2016. With the help of these free Wi-Fi zones more people can gain access to the internet. Because of this, connectivity will not be a problem anymore and hopefully it will help improve lives provided it will be used properly and not be abused.
