Kokonet marks Seychelles' wireless "hotzones" |17 July 2006

The new Kokozone service will be available in specific locations throughout the country marked as hotzones and will be offered using the WiFi technology. The service will allow WiFi-enabled laptop, smart phone and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) users to access the internet, their e-mails, company intranet and download files, all wirelessly.

Kokonet is currently installing equipment in selected areas that will eventually provide a country-wide WiFi coverage. Among the spots receiving coverage at present are the centre of Victoria, the International Airport at Pointe Larue, Victoria Port and a number of high profile hotels.

The hotzones providing the Kokozone service will be identified by the distinctive orange coloured logo with black and red writings with the company's official Coco-de-Mer symbol displayed.
 
To use the Kokozone service, customers will have to purchase a prepaid scratch card at R100 providing two hours of access.

Remaining balance can be used in any other Kokozone area. The cards are on sale at various outlets on Mahe.

All customers have to do is configure the settings, launch their browser in any Kokozone area, insert a web address and they will automatically be directed to the Kokozone web page. They will then have to enter the pin number obtained from the scratch card in the login box and get connected. 

As a special launch offer, Kokonet is offering the service for free until end of this month.
  
Kokonet regular wireless broadband subscribers will automatically qualify for free Kokozone access depending on the package that they subscribe to, starting with five hours of service.
The Marketing Executive for Kokonet, Romano Lawrence, has described the new service as an "exciting new product".

"Our objective is to give the Seychellois customer, as well as our visitors, the ability to use the Internet whilst on the move at an affordable rate," he said.

The Internet Provider has plans to introduce scratch cards with three-hour, one-day, seven-day and 30-day access in the future.

Kokozone hotspots are expected to come up in most areas on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue by the end of the year.