A quarter million unique users were recorded in the month of August

Almost half of the sessions are between 11 and 30 minutes, while around a third are between six and 10 minutes

UAE residents rely on WiFi UAE for their online social activities with You Tube being the most popular social site for WiFi UAE users

Dubai, 20 October, 2016

WiFi UAE is pleased to announce that it is very close to 1.5 million sessions per month, with a quarter million unique users in the month of August alone. Almost half of the sessions (44%) lasted between 11 and 30 minutes, while 32% lasted between six and 10 minutes.

Of the online activities, social interactions were amongst the most popular for UAE residents, who used WiFi UAE to view video content, and connect with friends and family online. You Tube garnered the highest data consumption (37%), Facebook was the second most popular social app (17%), while WhatsApp (3.1%), Instagram (2.6%) and Snapchat (2.4%) accounted for the least data consumption.

“By laying the foundations that support the UAE leadership’s vision of a wholly connected smart city infrastructure, we are empowering the people of the UAE with Internet connectivity. With around 1.5 million Wi-Fi sessions across our 334 active sites is a feat to be proud of. Our aim for the future is to create a network of interconnectivity between people and things for seamless smart city integration,” said Jihad Tayara, Vice President Business Development and Partnerships, du.

By the end of this year, WiFi UAE expects to enable Wi-Fi connectivity to more than 350 locations. The service offers users two types of Internet connection; Wifi UAE, a free WiFi service with high speed access to government websites and WiFi UAE Premium, an affordable paid service that allows users unrestricted upload and download speed. To access the premium WiFi service, users must have a SIM or SIM-free WiFi-capable device such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, gaming devices, etc.

For more information please visit www.WiFiUAE.ae

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About du
du is a vibrant and multiple award-winning telecommunications service provider serving over 8 million individual customers with its mobile, fixedline, broadband internet, and Home services over its 4G LTE network. du also caters to over 80,000 UAE businesses with its vast range of ICT and managed services. Since its launch in 2007, du has many UAE firsts to its credit, including introduction of Pay by the Second® billing system, IPTV and self-service portal.

du is ideally placed to support the realisation of UAE Vision 2021 and transformation of Dubai into a Smart City. du is also the official strategic partner of the Smart Dubai Office and the platform provider for Smart Dubai. Following the successful testing of the Middle East’s first Internet of Things (IoT) network, du is on course to complete deployment of its IoT network in 2016.

Brand Finance ranked du as the 12th most valuable brand in the Middle East in 2016. du previously won the coveted Brand of the year title by Superbrands Middle East in 2013. The company has been recognised with several other awards such as ISO 27001 certification of Managed Security Services and having the distinction of opening UAE’s first LEED Platinum Certified Green Shop. du also has the unique distinction of the first telecom in the world to release Sustainability Report based  on GRI-G4 guidelines in 2014. du is also credited with du’s world-class teleport is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and ranked among the top teleports in the world by World teleport Association.

As an Emirati business, du is vested in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the UAE. The company has, on average, had an Emiratisation rate of 34% since 2013 across its entire business. Human capital is a key focus area for the company, and the company employs nearly 2000 people from over 60 nationalities. du has won Gallup Great Workplace Award for two consecutive years.

du is 39.5 percent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 19.75 percent by Mubadala Development Company PJSC, 19.5 percent by Emirates Communications and Technology LLC and the remaining by public shareholders. Listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), the company trades under the name ‘du’.

For more information visit www.du.ae

Media contacts:
Saugat Chatterjee
Brand & Communications
du
Mobile: +971559367045
Email: Saugat.Chatterjee@du.ae

Layal Dalal
Communications Manager
MSLGROUP
Email: layal.dalal@mslgroup.com

© Press Release 2016