Wakalat Street now wireless Internet hotspot from umniah

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), in cooperation with the mobile service operator Umniah, on Thursday announced Wakalat Street in Sweifieh as a “free Internet” zone.

The project aims to educate the public on information technology and to increase Internet subscription in the Kingdom, according to the press centre in GAM said.

Under an agreement signed between Umniah CEO Joseph Hanania and Amman Mayor Omar Maani, Umniah will provide Wakalat Street with a free high-speed Wi-Fi Internet connection supported by WiMAX technology.

“It is a public-private sector partnership,” Maani said, noting that the initiative is “clear evidence of the private sector’s corporate social responsibility”.

After signing the agreement, Hanania stressed Umniah’s commitment towards the local community through several partnerships with GAM and long-term strategic partnerships with local community organisations.

“We are supporting the Greater Amman Municipality’s efforts to make Amman a pedestrian-friendly city, he said, highlighting the company’s strategy to take part in the Kingdom’s comprehensive development.

“Umniah has set strategies to contribute to the development of the communications and information technology sectors in the Kingdom, which is in line with the government’s plans,” he noted.

This is the first project of its kind in the Kingdom.

Earlier this year, GAM designated Wakalat as the first street in the capitol exclusively for pedestrians. As part of the JD850,000 project, GAM paved 17,000 square metres with coloured tiles, posted maps on the street’s entrances and built a kiosk to provide services to visitors.

No vehicles are allowed to enter the street, which has now become a centre for social activities and shopping.

28 October 2007