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Google ditches its free WiFi service in South Africa, three months after launch

businessinsider.co.za

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Re: Google ditches its free WiFi service in South Africa, three months after launch

#151

I just can't think of any reason why, if I were building any sort of business (tech or otherwise) I would incorporate google services (apart form google search ads, perhaps) into any aspect of it that I would deem "essential" or even "important". Even Drive & the associated sheets/docs/etc I look at with an eye towards "be ready to mass download the lot of it on short notice" As an example, about two years ago they w…

Do you mean Google Data Studio, or something else?

It might have been that... They had a few similar forays into that sort of thing and at least one change of branding for the same offering when they gave it an overhaul, so I'm not sure. It may even still be around, but I just didn't have confidence in it's long term viability to push it organizationally over Tableau and ::shudder:: Cognos. (Cognos was mandatory, it was built on top of the the semantic layer of data from an ERP. A year later we realized we needed Tableau for truly modern data presentation, and used the semantic layer underlying Cognos as the primary data source for it, so it actually turned into a decent compromise. Now my push is for true data mining pipeline/ml development and deplo capabilities. Something like Alteryx, but there's a few solar industry-specific tools I'm looking at instead.

Re: Google ditches its free WiFi service in South Africa, three months after launch

#153

I suspect they're withdrawing due to infrastructure issues. We also have frequent power cuts (in my area it's up to 4 hours a day with no electricity) and loads of cable theft. Some of the cell towers even get shut down because people steal the hardware, the batteries that keep them operational. Heck, we've even had cases of people stealing fibre cables, because they thought they were worth more than copper. *I am a…

Whereabout in SA are you? Are the issues you describe more common in rural areas or is it in the larger cities as well?

The power cuts are country-wide. The sole, state-owned power utility Eskom has neglected its infrastructure despite warnings going back decades and now cannot generate enough electricity to meet demand. And the corruption under former president Jacob Zuma has caused newer power station projects to be botched and run way over schedule and budget. In the best case we will be having regular power cuts for the next 18 months at least.

Re: Google ditches its free WiFi service in South Africa, three months after launch

#154
post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reading South African as a Dutch person is always great. I understand most of the words, but it’s still clearly a completely different language/context. Gatvol = hole is full

When I learnt Dutch is came is a surprise that ‘opgewonde’ does not mean excited. I told many an executive at KPN that I was opgewonde to work on their project. :)

Apparently Google Translate hasn't had the epiphany that you did yet. What does it mean? :)

Re: Google ditches its free WiFi service in South Africa, three months after launch

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I learnt Dutch is came is a surprise that ‘opgewonde’ does not mean excited. I told many an executive at KPN that I was opgewonde to work on their project. :)

Apparently Google Translate hasn't had the epiphany that you did yet. What does it mean? :)

Afrikaans: opgewonde → excited Dutch: opgewonde → aroused.

:)

Re: Google ditches its free WiFi service in South Africa, three months after launch

#156

I suspect they're withdrawing due to infrastructure issues. We also have frequent power cuts (in my area it's up to 4 hours a day with no electricity) and loads of cable theft. Some of the cell towers even get shut down because people steal the hardware, the batteries that keep them operational. Heck, we've even had cases of people stealing fibre cables, because they thought they were worth more than copper. *I am a…

Whereabout in SA are you? Are the issues you describe more common in rural areas or is it in the larger cities as well?

Johannesburg region
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