Case study: keeping BlueZones online with Fuzion solar power
How Fuzion's solar power systems keep konnekt's fibre-backed BlueZone Wi-Fi running through Nairobi's power cuts.
Fuzion Technologies, whose solar power systems run every konnekt BlueZone, has published a case study on how we keep public Wi-Fi online in Nairobi's busiest neighbourhoods. Here is the story in short.
The problem
In Nairobi's dense, low-income neighbourhoods, many people still have no reliable internet at home. Public Wi-Fi, where it exists, is usually a basic hotspot running on mobile backhaul. It drops when the power goes, and it comes with data caps and session timeouts.
The cost of that falls on the people who keep these neighbourhoods running: small businesses that can't rely on digital payments, students who can't finish coursework, and traders cut off from online marketplaces.
How a BlueZone works
A BlueZone is continuous, unlimited Wi-Fi across a whole neighbourhood hub: a market, a set of courtyards, a row of salons, a bus stage. Fibre backhaul feeds a mesh of enterprise-grade access points, so people can walk through the zone without reconnecting.
Power is the weak point of any street network in Kenya, so Fuzion's backup power and power management are built into every site. They keep the network running through outages, steady the voltage and cut down on maintenance visits.
What's on the pole
- Fuzion FTP-300: a rugged, solar-charged two-port switch that powers the Wi-Fi access point over the same Ethernet cable that carries its data (24 V Power over Ethernet).
- Fuzion FTP-ACC002: a 12 V power interface for the fibre terminal (ONU) that brings in the backhaul.
- MikroTik access point: broadcasts the BlueZone itself.
The kit is small and built to be installed and left alone, which matters when sites sit on poles and walls above busy streets.
What it changes
- Small businesses can take digital payments without the connection dropping.
- Students can keep working when the power goes off.
- Traders get dependable access to suppliers, customers and online marketplaces.
Our aim is digital infrastructure that “works where life actually happens.” Shaun Morgan, konnekt
Fuzion's solution partner on the deployment is Optace Networks.