Homeless People Double As 4G Hotspots At SXSW Conference



People attending the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas have a new way to get online — homeless people. The Bartle Bogle Hegarty marketing firm has launched a non-profit drive called “Homeless Hotspots.” Basically, they supply homeless Austin residents with a 4G MiFi hotspot; the homeless people wear a shirt listing their name and access info for the hotspot; and you give the homeless person a donation to use the connection. BBH supplied the hotspot devices for free, and the homeless “managers” get to keep the money they raise from people using the service.