Wireless internet set to be new mass-use technology

Wireless internet is going to become the next big mass-use technology just as mobile phones did with voice communications, industry watchers said.

"I think mobile internet is ready to take off in the UAE and the Middle East region," said Addy Al Zarrae, an official of e-government, an initiative of the Dubai Government.

"It's just a matter of time before it becomes a mass-consumption technology. But it's up to the regulators to take a proactive stance."

Al Zarrae was referring to the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority created to regulate the telecommunications industry.

"We're already using Wi-Fi [Wireless Fidelity] technology. We have about 20 people with their personal digital assistants connected to the wireless network," he said.

Wireless metropolitan area networks (WiMax) is a high-speed internet connection that can cover up to 60 km at more than 11mbps.

"It's the communication equivalent of the mass-transport system. Rural areas previously inaccessible or that can only be reached by expensive satellite hops can join the information highway with WiMax," said Katia Tayar, president and chief executive of Arabcom Group, organiser of the Middle East Smartphones Summit.

The event is set to kick off today at Emirates Towers.

About 60 international and regional exhibitors will showcase the latest handsets, wireless technologies WiFi, and WiMax software.