Tribune News Network
Doha
Hamad International Airport (HIA) has announced the launch of the next generation Wi-Fi service, empowered by Cisco technologies, across its state-of-the-art terminal to further enhance the airport’s passenger experience.
Through ubiquitous high-speed connectivity, passengers who are travelling via Qatar will be able to easily connect with family, friends and business contacts.
High Performance Wi-Fi 6
Meticulous design studies were undertaken to achieve seamless Wi-Fi coverage from the curbside of the terminal to the aircraft, and to provide adequate capacity and speed to meet and exceed our passenger’s needs.
Special attention 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.
Hamad International Airport has deployed Cisco Wireless technologies, including indoor and outdoor WiFi6, to support the needs of an increased flow of passengers over the next years in Qatar.
Further to the high-performance wireless connectivity across the entirety of the airport, it will also lay foundation for enhanced operations with better insights providing amazing experience for passengers.
Optimised Connectivity
With this investment, HIA will be able to better understand how passengers move through the airport, including dwell times and traffic flows. This will help optimise retail opportunities and allow passengers to consistently have great experiences.
Millions of visitors from across the world travelling through Hamad International Airport can now connect using single-step authentication methods by simply sending a ‘WhatsApp’ message or scanning their printed boarding pass.
Usage statistics in the initial days have shown that over 60 percent of the visitors prefer the new frictionless connection options. During FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, more than two million passengers enjoyed the new Wi-Fi service by seamlessly consuming over one PB (Peta Byte) of content from the internet.
Enabling the Future
Thanks to technologies embedded into the new Wi-Fi 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 – as well as beverage and retail offers from Qatar Duty Free (QDF).
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 Airport.
Commenting on the announcement, Hamad International Airport’s 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 Wi-fi 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.”
Hasan Khan, managing director of Cisco Qatar, 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; and we’re happy to bring these capabilities to Qatar’s flagship airport.”
