The world is getting more and more modern but people still struggle with "small" tasks like determining the correct address. A statistical result shows that about 75% of the world's areas lack accurate addresses. And What3words (W3W) - an application that determines locations without addresses, will make everything easier.
The What3words app divides the Earth's surface into 57 trillion pieces of land with an area of 9 m2, each plot of land is assigned the name of three random English words. Each three-word cluster corresponds to a specific location - from a slum in India, a refugee camp in Uganda to the alleys of Hong Kong. The algorithm randomly combines each three-word cluster, taking into account length, spelling, pronunciation... to minimize the possibility of errors and filter out profanity.
A parking space is represented by three words.
For example, the address of the W3W headquarters in London is “index.home.raf”, the address of the White House is “sulk.held.raves” or the Statue of Liberty is “planet.inches.most”. Just go to the What3words app or website, enter the address of 3 words separated by periods, then the app will show you the way to that location on the map. What’s more, the app can be used offline, meaning it doesn’t require an internet connection.
You can use the app even offline
The app has proven to be very useful, especially in places without specific addresses, such as the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, which have 3,000 streets but are not shown on a normal map.
W3W is present in more than 170 countries and across multiple industries, and is available in more than 11 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai. W3W's customers include logistics, transportation, travel, retail, and NGOs. Asia remains its best market so far.
While businesses are charged, W3W is free for individuals, governments and non-profits. In Mongolia, the postal system pioneered W3W in 2016 to improve delivery services. With 30% of Mongolia’s population living as nomads across an area of over 1.5 million km2, W3W will make transactions much more convenient. After Mongolia, Ivory Coast is also preparing to apply this technology to its national address system.
"3 word" address on an envelope in Mongolia
W3W is also a very useful application when NGOs need help in areas of natural disasters or war. It is also very effective when a person does not know where he is. Police in the North of England said they once used W3W to rescue a kidnapping victim.
With the W3W app, finding your way in the wilderness is no longer a concern for travelers.
What3words is currently working towards global coverage within the next 5 years.
more information
- Website:www.what3words.com
- Download the app at: Google Play or App Store
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