QATAR. Hamad International Airport has announced the launch of a next generation wifi service in a bid to further enhance the Doha travel hub’s passenger experience. The airport has partnered with Cisco Technologies to introduce the high-speed wireless connectivity, known as WiFi6.
The airport said meticulous design studies were undertaken to achieve seamless wifi coverage from the kerbside of the terminal to the aircraft, and to provide adequate capacity and speed to meet and exceed passengers’ needs.
Special attention, it noted, was paid to the terminal areas where a high number of passengers spend a significant amount of their time, such as boarding gates, shopping areas and food courts.
Further, the airport said, the new service will also lay the foundation for “enhanced operations with better insights providing amazing experience for passengers” and “optimising retail opportunities”.
Specifically, the service will enable the airport to better understand how passengers move through the premises, including dwell times and traffic flows.
Passengers travelling through Hamad International Airport can now connect to the wifi service using single-step authentication methods by simply sending a WhatsApp message or scanning their printed boarding pass.
Usage statistics in the initial days of the service have shown that over 60% of the visitors prefer the new frictionless connection options.
“The launch of next-gen wifi services at Hamad International Airport not only fits well within our strategy of seamless travel but also strengthens our commitment to continue to be the leading global digital airport” – Hamad International Airport Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation Suhail Kadri
During FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, more than 2 million passengers used the Hamad wifi service to seamlessly consuming over 1 PB (Peta Byte) of content from the internet.
Thanks to technologies embedded into the new wifi system at the airport, Hamad International Airport’s mobile app ’HIA Qatar’ will deliver improved location-based services.
These services include real-time wayfinding for areas like baggage claim, direction to boarding gates and food & beverage and retail offers from Qatar Duty Free.
To ensure that travellers benefit from the best deals, the HIA Qatar app alerts users when walking past outlets with ongoing sales and promotions. This capability will in future enable new operational uses such as efficient and timely allocation of resources, including wheelchairs, buggies and a variety of aviation equipment and tools.
In addition, improved connectivity is provided for various airport stakeholders and partners, who increasingly rely on wireless connectivity and operational mobile apps for their field staff to contribute to the world-class operations at Hamad International.
Commenting on the announcement, Hamad International Airport Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation Suhail Kadri said: “As the world’s best airport, we are continually investing in innovative technologies and solutions to provide our millions of visitors from around the world with easy access and the most seamless of experiences.
“The launch of next-gen wifi services at Hamad International Airport not only fits well within our strategy of seamless travel but also strengthens our commitment to continue to be the leading global digital airport.”
Cisco Qatar Managing Director Hasan Khan said: “We are proud to support Hamad International Airport’s strategic business goals as it continues to grow and introduce new services to effectively transform the passenger experience.
“Cisco has a strong technological expertise providing secure, intelligent and seamless connectivity for various airports across the world. We’re happy to bring these capabilities to Qatar’s flagship airport.”
