JEDDAH, 7 June 2007 — Sometime in the near future laptops will likely become more noticeable on Jeddah’s seaside Corniche if the municipality’s plan to turn the boardwalk into the city’s first large-scale wireless access zone come to fruition.
The municipality announced yesterday an agreement with International Computer Company (ICC) to install the network. The service won’t be free, however. The deal with ICC includes selling access cards for one, five or 10 hours worth of Internet access to the public.
Details about when the network will be up and running and how much the cards will cost were not divulged, but an ICC official says that the company will work with commercial establishments along the Corniche to bring them into the network.
“The company will also provide the service and its equipment free of charge for many restaurants, coffee shops, hotels and public parks,” said Akram Elias, general manager of ICC.
Municipal officials have said they hope this Wifi network will be good for businesses in the area.
Wifi is currently available in some commercial establishments, hotels and Al-Fursan business-class lounges of the Kingdom’s three international airports.
