Nigerian broadband service provider Swift Networks launched Red Cheetah, a free broadband Wi-Fi service, and as usual it’s only available in Lagos State.

At the media launch, Charles Anudu, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Swift Networks, said the company has been working on Red Cheetah for the past two years. They kept it under wraps until a good product was ready. He said Red Cheetah hopes to deepen internet penetration and bridge the broadband divide in Nigeria.

“In Nigeria, most people don’t have internet and unfortunately the people who do not have this internet are those who need it the most. Bringing free broadband to the masses will boost the economy in more ways than one and also equip they youths.” He added.

Users can register as many devices as possible and each device is entitled to a 1GB data cap daily. Charles says the ultimate goal is to make the data unlimited but since this is a first for Swift Networks, they need to move one step at a time.

To be able to offer this service free of charge, Swift Networks is partnering with brands to serve ads to users on the Red Cheetah platform. This means that to keep browsing free, users are obliged to watch ads during their session. 

On locations and accessibility, the Chief Operating Officer of Swift Network, Chukwuma Okoye said:

Red Cheetah hopes to reach 10,000 locations in Lagos by the next 6 months. But for now, it is available in 500 locations that include public spots, BRT buses and taxis.

To get access to this free browsing service, users have to download the Red Cheetah app on the Android Play Store, it possesses a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that protects user data from 3rd party access.

Browsing can only be accessed in select areas where modems are available.

Culled from TechPoint