Outside of the Austin Convention Center this morning, I heard a man yelling, “Hotspots! Get your Hotspots!” After speaking with him for a while, I learned that he was a homeless man offering free WiFi hotspots for SXSW conference attendees who find themselves unable to connect to the Internet.

As you know, being caught without a WiFi connection at SXSW is equivalent to being forced to fight a minotaur without the aid of a sharp weapon: You feel frightened, vulnerable, and totally useless. To help people conquer the SXSW beast, BBH is taking the “Street Newspapers” model and giving it a modern, digital update. Throughout the festival, BBH strategically placing homeless individuals around downtown Austin with cards that explain the Homeless Hotspots program. Should individuals find themselves in a WiFi dead zone, they can contact the person that gave them the card, and the person will find and provide them with a hotspot for the suggested donation for $2 per 15 minutes of service, with all proceeds going to support the Front Steps Shelter.

So thanks, Mark! I’ll more than likely be contacting you sometime over the course of this crazy weekend. Learn more about Homless Hotspots and its website here.