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Dubai free zone clusters to get new WiFi services
By Quintin Smith on Wednesday, March 19, 2008
TECOM Investments has announced a new deal with du, the UAE telecoms operator to offer a WiFi service in public areas of Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Knowledge Village starting this April.
To begin with the new WiFi coverage will include food courts, lobbies and select offices and villas, but TECOM intends to extend this until it’s available in all outdoor public spaces within the free zone clusters.
du will be providing the technology and support required in setting up the new wireless local area networks.
Abdullatif Al Mulla, CEO of TECOM Investments, said: “Staying connected is vital for today’s business in an increasingly technology-driven world. It is imperative we provide the necessary infrastructure to our visitors, business partners and students, and help them communicate in the most convenient manner.”
du already has WiFi installations in Starbucks outlets in the Dubai free zones, and more at Dubai Festival City, Times Square Centre and the Dubai World Trade Centre.
To begin with the new WiFi coverage will include food courts, lobbies and select offices and villas, but TECOM intends to extend this until it’s available in all outdoor public spaces within the free zone clusters.
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Abdullatif Al Mulla, CEO of TECOM Investments, said: “Staying connected is vital for today’s business in an increasingly technology-driven world. It is imperative we provide the necessary infrastructure to our visitors, business partners and students, and help them communicate in the most convenient manner.”
du already has WiFi installations in Starbucks outlets in the Dubai free zones, and more at Dubai Festival City, Times Square Centre and the Dubai World Trade Centre.
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User Comments (2 comments) 
Posted by Monty Speckman, Dubai, UAE on 14 April 2008 at 03:47 UAE time
Whats the point of wifi in DIC? Who on earth is going to pay to use it?
The internet in the UAE is now completely crippled - to anyone in the internet industry Dubai Internet City is now considered a joke. Trying to run an internet company in Dubai is like trying to run a camel farm in Siberia.
UAE now runs like a communist country - state run telecoms companies, oppressive censorship, and a crippled system that makes using the internet similar to how it was in the UK in about 1996 - no voip, many sites blocked, and absurdly high pricing.
The guys running Dubai can't seem to work out why all the best most innovative ideas come out of the USA, and why it's the birthplace of all the major internet companies. The answer of course is simple - Americans don't have to contend with a government that cripples the infrastructure for a bit of very short term profit.
It's surely only a matter of time until they completely close down the internet, and make people go back to sending letters to each other.
Whats the point of spending money to make the internet more accessible through wifi, and then completely crippling it so you can't really use it?
Posted by M Z, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 23 March 2008 at 22:56 UAE time
What is more vital is the cost of Internet connectivity for businesses. When you pay 25k/mo. for your business's internet connection (comparable to a 2k/mo. in the regions Dubai competes with), it is absolute insanity!
I just wish du and probably the TRA as well would see the need to price services more reasonably.