Wi-Fi provider BitBuzz said today it experienced a 28pc year-on-year increase in revenue to €1.94m in 2012, up from €1.4m in 2011. Successful uptake of its Bitbuzz freedom service will see it deploy the service in other city locations around Ireland this year.
CEO Shane Deasy said continued growth in registered users reflects the popularity of smartphones in Ireland.
Logins by smartphone users accounted for 48pc of Bitbuzz’s total Wi-Fi usage at the end of 2012, compared to 40pc at the end of 2011. There was a 28pc increase in data downloads per month per user, with 380 MB for 2012.
According to ComReg, Bitbuzz accounted for 56pc of all public Wi-Fi traffic throughout Ireland. This coincides with figures from Bitbuzz that reveal an increase of 530,966 registered users compared to 355,590 in 2011.
The total number of registered users at the end of 2012 was 1,148,966. The number of Wi-Fi hotspots grew from 320 to 449 at the end of 2012.
The Freedom trail
During 2012, a new service called Bitbuzz Freedom, which provides free Wi-Fi access in outdoor locations, was introduced.
First launched on on Grafton Street, the service has spread to parts of Henry Street, Temple Bar and the Hibernian Way in Dublin city centre and is due to launch shortly in other cities in Ireland. With Bitbuzz Freedom, members of the public can now safely browse the web and check emails from their smartphones. This equates to the increase in Wi-Fi usage of smartphones on the Bitbuzz network.
“This is a new direction for the company and the figures reflect its success to date,” Deasy said.
“The growth in registered users highlights the demand for Wi-Fi and the consistently increasing popularity of smartphones. Looking to 2013, we hope to forge more strategic B2B partnerships and continue to expand Bitbuzz Freedom service to other key city locations throughout Ireland.”
