The Fairmont Group of Hotels & Resorts recently deployed Aruba Networks’ wireless infrastructure at its Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel in Makkah. Thanks to the Aruba Wi-Fi solution, guests and staff at the hotel will be able to enjoy secure, seamless, high-speed, wireless Internet access across all 76 floors of the hotel.

Mohamed Mahmoud, IT Director at Makkah Clock Royal Tower, said: “Our hotel regularly hosts thousands of guests and between these hotel guests and staff, at any time we may have up to 25,000 connections to the wireless network via laptops, iPads and smart devices. Furthermore, during peak seasons, particularly Haj, the number of connections can spike by up to 99 percent.”

Working closely with DSP, Aruba Networks’ partner in the region, the IT team at Makkah Clock Royal Tower completed the installation of Aruba’s series 6000 mobility controller and 1,175 of Aruba’s AP-105 access points over a three-month period.

“One of the key features of the Aruba solution is the superior radio performance, which allows for saturated coverage at much higher data rates. This reduction in the number of "dark spots" allowed us to deploy the minimum number of access points, which in turn reduced total project cost and installation time, without compromising network capabilities — a win for both the hotel and guests,” said Mohamed Raafat, technical services manager, DSP.

Thirty six months into the installation, Ahmed Shakeel couldn’t be happier with the decision to go with the Aruba solution.

“By delivering a robust, secure, high-bandwidth and easily managed wireless network, we have provided a best-in-class wireless solution that matches the best-in-class accommodation and amenities offered by the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, further validating our position as the leading wireless network solution provider for the hospitality sector in the GCC region,” AbdelQayoum Shaker, territory manager, Aruba Networks, said.