"The nature of air travel and time spent in airports highlighted these environments as ideal locations to implement the MWeb Wi-Fi zone solution. As of November 2014 Lanseria International Airport, located in Joburg's north, has become the first airport to go live with this solution," said Nathier Kasu, GM of MWeb Wi-Fi.
It is not unusual to meet a traveller who refers to airports as his second home. More and more people are choosing to travel by air and some carriers that fly across Africa are reporting double-digit growth rates. Unfortunately, the airport experience is not a simple case of arriving and boarding. Security checks, flight delays, transfers - the business of flying people around the country and beyond means that you may need to spend a lot of time at an airport.
In the past you may have idled away the time spent waiting to board a flight by reading the one book you brought or a newspaper you found on the seat next to you. You may try to kill time perusing the coffee shop menu, ponder if a duty-free purchase will be worth your while or watch the same international news story loop for the umpteenth time on public TV screens.
But instant internet access through Wi-Fi has added a new dimension to using your time in travel limbo effectively. While 3G data can be expensive, slow and unpredictable, Wi-Fi delivers fast-and-reliable access to the internet emails and more. It has become the must-have feature for airports serious about keeping passengers happy.
"Today's air passenger is very connected. Smart phones, laptops and tablets are a must-have accessory for travellers, because they keep them in touch with their world - even when stuck in an airport lobby," continued Kasu. "MWeb has recognised this demand and invested in bringing its world-class internet experience to savvy users."
This is accomplished through MWeb Wi-Fi zones. These are more than simple hot spots: a Wi-Fi zone designates a large area with multiple access points, so no need to huddle around the same pillar with a dozen other travellers, all trying to stay within the small pool of internet access.
"We are happy to launch the MWeb Wi-Fi service for our passengers as we know that staying connected is important them," said Gavin Sayce, CEO of Lanseria International Airport. "Nowadays, passengers quite rightly demand that the internet should be available everywhere at international airports, be it for business or leisure, and in many cases it makes travel-related administration much easier as well. The availability of MWeb Wi-Fi at our airport will offer improved connectivity and new options for users with heavy data needs, or with multiple devices," Sayce added.
MWeb Wi-Fi recently launched its first Wi-Fi-activated high street along Durban's Florida Road, allowing numerous restaurants, bars and other businesses to offer internet access to their customers. Based on the success of this and similar zones across the country, it has expanded this service to Lanseria International Airport. For a limited period, passengers at Lanseria International Airport can enjoy free high-speed uncapped Wi-Fi internet. The MWeb Wi-Fi zone at Lanseria International Airport blankets 97% of the facility, so you never risk losing coverage.
The Wi-Fi is fast, easy to access and always available. Using the latest in connectivity technology, it even delivers demanding services like rich media content such as video-on-demand. MWeb Wi-Fi has also designed the service not to degrade as new users connect to it. Fast, reliable and consistent experience is the promise.
"For the annual Flux Trends, top trends for 2015 release, we have placed our tongues firmly in our cheeks and positioned Wi-Fi as the new base tier of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. While humorous, the trend is very real and reflected in the need to be always on, always connected in the digital era. Connectivity is pivotal to the way we work and play, the boundaries of which have long been blurred. The next trend we are tracking at Flux is the evolution of social media commerce, which takes online shopping to a different level: social shopping on the go and the enabler - unsurprisingly - is connectivity," commented Flux Trends founder, Dion Chang.
In an effort to highlight both the MWeb Wi-Fi Zone solution at Lanseria International Airport as well as introduce Lanseria travellers to the concept that the internet can take you anywhere, MWeb Wi-Fi has also launched the MWeb Wi-Fi Unwired Spacelounge.
The Spacelounge will be on display at Lanseria over the busy December season. In a similar way to a space port, which in the not-so-distant future will represent a link between us and astonishing worlds beyond our planet, Earth, Lanseria International Airport's departure lounge provides an ideal environment to create a space evocative of what a departure lounge within a space port might look like in the future.
