Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa August 2018 | Page 17

TECHNOLOGY
erty. If, in the not too distant future, we were able to live in a
more connected and smart city, in smart and connected homes,
imagine the impact on our commutes and daily routines. Sud-
denly, the need to travel an hour to work every day would
seem silly - why not work from your fully connected home
office instead? Would traffic still be a factor? If cities become
truly smart, road congestion and the detection thereof would
be much simpler. Public transport would be more efficient, as
would local governments’ attempts to upgrade infrastructure.
Once these innovations are in place, even partially, the lo-
cation of a property would become largely irrelevant. While
there would still be a demand for property in lush suburbs
or by the beach, the constant threat of daily commutes and
traffic jams would become obsolete. Suddenly, a home located
an hour from the city center would be significantly more at-
tractive - just think of all the parks and open space!
We’re already seeing early stages of this trend, with securi-
ty estates on the periphery of urban areas gaining popularity.
Offering residents a more peaceful and safe way of life, estates
are also becoming smart hubs in their own right. With new
builds coming on the market each day, fibre has become a basic
amenity.
Reality check
Of course, we live in a deeply divided country when it comes
to access to technology and innovation. While it’s undeniable
that fibre will have an impact in the future, it’s widely rec-
ognised that Africa is in need of intense funding to bring it on
par with the rest of the world. At the International Telecoms
Week conference in Chicago, held in 2017, it was established
that, while most African submarine cable systems had the
capability to deliver 100 GBPS wavelengths, Africa has not
utilised near enough capacity to saturate those systems.
The first step towards creating a smart and connected city,
country, or continent, is of course to get the people online.
While this is a long and winding road, progress is being made.
As more and more providers enter the fibre field, prices are
beginning to drop. With an ever-growing number of new de-
velopments being built, the network is constantly growing.
While fibre and subsequent connectivity is exciting, it’s
important to take note of the potential security risks that ac-
company it. As we become more and more connected through
our data, we are putting ourselves out there for criminals to
take advantage of. A smart and connected city will collect data
on pedestrians’ patterns and preferences, activities at homes in
terms of electricity usage or security, and keep track of public
SMART HOMES
Fibre, at its core, is still only an internet connection.
But, with more reliable and consistent speeds, the
opportunity for smart homes becomes more real
than ever. We’ve spoken extensively about smart
homes and how they can change the way we live,
but let’s take a quick glance at the biggest game
changers.
Security
With a connected home and security system, you
can always stay on top of your home’s surveillance.
Whether you need live stream or app notifications,
you have options.
Entertainment
We’d all be lying if we said that a large reason for
considering fibre wasn’t to be able to download or
stream movies and music faster. As we continue
to live our lives online and on screens, it’s tough to
ignore the importance of the entertainment value
in the bigger picture.
Efficiency
From water saving taps to automatic light switches,
there’s an innovation out there to suit your needs.
With a connected home, you’re able to control ev-
ery aspect of your property from your smartphone.
Forgot to switch off the geyser or lights? Taken care
of at the touch of a button.
spaces. While this is good in the long run, there are bound to
be some hiccups along the way.
As we wait for the inevitable wave of innovation to reach
us, it’s exciting to consider a life where things are taken care of
by smart technology. Understanding this appeal is essential in
keeping your investment property up to date. While you may
not be ready to take the plunge and convert your home com-
pletely, adding a few smart touches could do wonders. Starting
with a fast and reliable internet connection is probably a good
place to start.
CONNECTIVITY AND BUSINESS
A recent study on Wi-Fi in South Africa, released by Ruckus Networks and World Wide Worx, provides insights on
the priorities and attitudes of companies towards connectivity and its role in the business world.
Key findings
97% of corporations and 95% of small businesses use Wi-Fi internally
94% of respondents ranked quality of Wi-Fi connection to be the most important factor, followed by speed and
constant connectivity ranked both at 92%.
86% of large businesses predominantly use Wi-Fi for IoT security and monitoring, 80% for connection to the
intranet and 70% for cloud integration and adoption.
95% of small businesses use Wi-Fi predominantly for connection to the Internet and Intranet, followed by cloud
adoption and IoT integration.
95% of respondents believed that wider availability of Wi-Fi would contribute to a smart city strategy. More than
a third believe that smart cities will boost the economy and attract new business.
76% of respondents indicated that fibre infrastructure is the biggest tech barrier to smart cities roll-out.