Beirut Airport claims 5G wifi

Beirut Airport is claiming to now offer free public 5G wifi.

Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport allegedly launched the service in late September. Managed by Lebanese telco Ogero, it will allegedly be available via about 175 separate wifi points installed in the airport. At the launch, Lebanese Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair claimed the airport was among the first in the region to offer public 5G wifi.

However, the claim has been met with scepticism. Much of Lebanon’s telecommunications infrastructure is under-developed, with power cuts and internet outages a common occurrence even in the capital of Beirut.

Meanwhile, in the UAE, Abu Dhabi’s Dhs10bn Midfield Terminal is slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2019, and will offer publicly-available 5G wifi when it does. The exact date of opening has not yet been revealed. However, when it does open, it is claimed it will be the first “5G connected hub” in the region, and will also have services such as autonomous wheelchairs.

READ: Abu Dhabi Airports, Etihad launch trial of autonomous wheelchairs

Spanning 742,000 square metres, the terminal will be able to handle more than 8,500 people per hour and will increase the airport’s capacity to 45 million passengers a year.

The terminal, which will be one of the region’s largest, will also have a baggage handling system that can process almost half a million bags a day.