WIFI for everyone, from Batelco

Manama : Batelco yesterday launched Bahrain WiFi at an exclusive event held at the BIC’s Sakhir Tower under the patronage of  Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal Ahmed. 

Batelco Bahrain CEO Muna Al Hashemi was joined by Kamal Ahmed and Chairman Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al Khalifa to push the button to officially launch the service. 

A number of hotspots including the Bahrain International Circuit, Seef Mall Muharraq and Juffair Restaurant area are ready to go as part of this significant initiative. Over 50 locations, catering to all regions are currently WiFi ready or in process, and will be launched during 2016.

In the first major step for the project, Batelco provided WiFi throughout the Bahrain International Circuit for the 2016 Formula One weekend, making it the first international circuit to provide free public WiFi. Over the course of the three day event, around 70,000 visitors connected to the Bahrain WiFi network which provided full coverage throughout the circuit with the public generating over one terabyte of WiFi traffic. 

Any WiFi enabled devices will be able to connect to the Bahrain WiFi Landing page and benefit from a limited daily complimentary allocation, following which they will be directed to the Bahrain WiFi portal with easy payment options to continue using the service. Batelco’s mobile customers will be automatically connected to the service whenever they enter one of the WiFi hotspots.

“The provisioning of WiFi throughout the Bahrain International Circuit for the 2016 Formula One weekend was just the first step, and we were delighted with its success. We look forward to extending the service to many other key locations in the near future,” Al Hashemi said.

The launch of Bahrain-WiFi combined with the rollout of Batelco’s Superfast fiber network provides the most advanced digital platform for consumers and business in Bahrain. 

“This service will undoubtedly elevate communication standards in Bahrain to be on par with the ranks of smart and sophisticated international locations that provide first class services to residents and tourists,” Al Hashemi added.