How do you get digital resources into the hands of people who aren’t connected to the Internet? How do you distribute apps, videos, audio, documents, and images to people who can’t afford the data it would take to download those materials? What if those people live in remote areas where they don’t have access to a cellular network?
The key to distributing digital content is a Wi-Fi connection that acts like the Internet but isn’t. These units, generically referred to as “Wi-Fi Media Boxes,” show up on a user’s device as a Wi-Fi network. Yet the content offered is only what the owner of the unit loads into the memory of the Wi-Fi Media Box. Users cannot connect to the Internet through them.
Several options are currently available: the ConnectBox, the LightStream Pocket, the MicroPi and the BibleBox Pi. Each costs less than $100 US dollars, and has its advantages and disadvantages.
This paper is a review of each unit and a detailed comparison of the features each one offers compared to the others. The purpose is to help readers learn more about each unit so they can choose the one that best meets their particular needs.
Download or view this comparison in English or Spanish. Updated on May 31, 2021.
