Dubai International Airport to Offer Free BYOD Wireless Entertainment
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APEX Insight: Travelers at Dubai International Airport can stream Hollywood, Bollywood and Jazwood content to their personal electronic devices thanks to a partnership between Dubai Airports and ICFLIX.
Dubai Airports has partnered with ICFLIX to give travelers free access to a large catalog of films, which they can watch on their wireless electronic devices while at Dubai International Airport (DXB). Dubai-based media firm ICFLIX’s video-on-demand streaming service is distributed through DXB’s free Wi-Fi service, called Wow-Fi, and offers customers a selection of Hollywood, Bollywood and Jazwood (Arabic) content.
“We intend to lead the practical application of available digital tools to exceed customer expectations, across multiple points of their journey at our airports.” said Eugene Barry, executive vice-president of Dubai Airports’ Commercial and Communications Group. “Our continued investment in a superior Wi-Fi product (Wow-Fi) has ensured that our customers are connected with a free and fast service, and now we aim to enrich that platform with managed content and relevant messaging.”
“We intend to lead the practical application of available digital tools to exceed customer expectations, across multiple points of their journey.” – Eugene Barry, Dubai Airports
The ICFLIX service, which is available in Arabic, English and French, is part of an ongoing program to introduce additional activities and comforts for travelers flying through the mega-hub airport, such as live musical performances at the #musicDXB stage and a new ‘sleep ‘n fly’ lounge. The video-on-demand service is free to all DXB travelers during a trial period of two months. When the trial is complete, Dubai Airports, which manages both of Dubai’s airports, and ICFLIX will review customer feedback and consider options for future services.
“Our mission is to deliver the best online entertainment value, selection and experience to a worldwide subscriber base by providing Jazwood (Arabic), Bollywood and Hollywood content in one place,” said Carlos Tibi, founder and CEO, ICFLIX. “[With this new DBX partnership] we just expanded that potential customer base by 90 million people so we are absolutely delighted with the deal and excited by the opportunity it provides.”
DXB isn’t the only airport offering video entertainment services to travelers. In 2015, Gatwick airport introduced a similar service that allowed travelers to download movies and television programs directly to their electronic devices. Heathrow Airport’s EntertainMe kiosks, designed by SITA, offer entertainment content as well as destination guides, newspapers and magazines. Singapore Changi Airport has two free movie theaters, one in terminal 2 and another in terminal 3, each open 24 hours.
Airport terminals around the world still offer plenty of opportunity for growth in entertainment offerings, and the new Dubai ICFLIX trial presents an interesting case for BYOD entertainment, which video streaming platforms like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix may want to watch more closely.
To learn more about Dubai International Airport, click here.