Public WiFi and 5G fixed wireless services were launched few days ago at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport in a ceremony attended by Ministers of Public Works and Transport Youssef Fenianos, Communications Mohammed Choucair, and Media Jamal Jarrah. Also in attendance Director-General and Chairman of Ogero, Imad Kreidieh, Middle East Airlines director Mohamed El Hout, as well as many other figures and technology companies.
Those two new services, which were officially launched after experiments by technicians in Ogero, provide connectivity that matches international standards. The services are open to passengers at the airport through the public WiFi, and to enterprises and airport staff through the 5G fixed wireless.
During the launching ceremony, Minister Mohammed Choucair expressed his gratitude to everyone who collaborated to make this move happen. “We thank the General Manager of OGERO and Middle East Airlines. We hope to see an improvement not only at the airport but throughout Lebanon,” he said.
From his side, Director-General and Chairman of Ogero Imad Kreidieh pointed out that these services are accessible to all travelers. He explained, “5G technology has a short-range, and what is more important is the public WiFi, which is transmitted through fiber optic to all [areas of the] airport. It will be accessible to everyone and the speed will be for everyone.”
In response to a question related to the internet at the airport, he explained that while there was Internet service at the airport, it is now secured by Ogero with 157 points all through the airport. He added, “Even the private sector can have a platform to be able to provide services (…). Internet access at the airport is all-inclusive up to the plane’s door.”
Minister of Public Works and Transport Youssef Fenianos explained that they are “trying to offer passengers new services that facilitate their waiting times and their transfers within the airport.”
He went on adding,”The launch of the 5G service will be followed by other services of interest to travelers, especially to those with special needs […] all in cooperation with Ogero with the aim to facilitate the matters of travelers and to ensure the smooth movement and speed in the completion of all transactions.”
In recent times, Ogero shared a photo of the internet speed test conducted by the ministers, which showed the following: The download speed was 504.69 megabits per second while the upload speed was 502.37 Mbps – about 80 times as fast as the average broadband connection in Lebanon and 15-35 times as fast as mobile data rates.
