The Minister of Telecommunications Eng. Charbel Nahhas announced yesterday that he worked very closely with the Beirut International Airport to provide free Wi-Fi as a holiday gift now through September 15, 2010.
Additionally, as a result of this project, the airport will begin offering airport-wide free Wi-Fi indefinitely, starting next year 🙂
In the process of regulating the internet, and fostering freedom of expression in Lebanon, the Ministry Of Telecommunications in Lebanon added free on top of paid Wi-Fi: The authority decided to put out $90K for equipment and foot a $41K per year bill for service with 15 Mbps backhaul to handle what they believe will be 1,000 daily users.
Several companies are working with the airport on providing advertising.
“Because we care about our families abroad, we are very happy to extend our Wi-Fi Holiday gift to the millions of people who will spend time in airports over the next few months,” said Eng. Charbel Nahhas
“Telecommunications should not be a revenue stream for the government. We know that this is a very hectic travel season for Lebanese expatriates, and we hope that free Wi-Fi will make both traveling and connecting with friends and family a little bit easier.”
“Free and open access to the Internet has been a key passenger service initiative since the beginning of this year. The involvement of sponsors such as ESSA (Electronic Signatures and Services Authority) helps to ensure we can continue to keep Wi-Fi free.”
Just bring a WiFi-enabled laptop or mobile device and stay connected to family and friends for free while you travel!
Beirut inaugurated its first bike trail a few weeks ago.
Although it is a small loop inside the city, and that it is only opened for a few hours on Sundays, it is nevertheless a small step forward towards a green and sustainable transport mentality in the ‘my car is bigger than yours’ society, and a victory for the bikers in Lebanon.
According to The Daily Star, this bike lane covers Tripoli Street of the Beirut Souks and Patriarch Howayek Street.
Here is an illustrative map for those who have no clue where those streets are
What I saw in the Green Festival
The Little Engineer from Lebanon was recognized as one of the Middle East and North Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs and awarded with $50,000 as start-up capital at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Arab Business Plan Competition, hosted annually by the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Arab Region, in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Company.The iPad. With a revolutionary, 9.7 inch touch screen, and amazing new apps, it does things no tablet PC, netbook, or e-reader could.
Apartments in Lebanon
Armigatus 