South African UCT Students Create A Device To Help People Connect To The Internet During Load Shedding
South African UCT Students Create A Device To Help People Connect To The Internet During Load Shedding. It has been reported that South African UCT students, Brian Gadisi, Alan Gie and Thembalethu Hadebe have created a device that can help people stay connected to the internet during load shedding called WiBOX.
“We were part of a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship, also known as the Genesis Programme. One of the assessments was that we had to come up with a business idea that would benefit ordinary people. We had to research it, finance it and make it market-friendly,” Gadisi told News24.
This is a technology that is very innovative ass it is changing the way in which people access the internet during power outages. This device will also be having a positive impact in people’s lives as it will be helping them stay connected to the internet and they will in turn be able to study or work even if there is no electricity. Many communities will be helped where there are frequent power outages.
“We launched the product with the funds that we generated by selling cakes on the UCT campus back in March last year. Since then, the business has been self-funded through the assistance of family and friends. Our company, Arion Power, acquired its first expansionary round of funding from SEDA (Small Enterprise Developing Agency) this year, which will certainly help in the expansion of the business,” Gadisi added.
The WiBox is permanently plugged into the wall socket and the devices. There are two supplied leads, one to power the router and the other to power the fibre box if required. During a power outage, the box will automatically switch from Eskom power to battery power, providing its clients with an uninterrupted connection. When the power switches back on the device will automatically switch from battery mode to wall power mode – charging the WiBox and powering the router and fibre box.
