Wanted! Wireless internet access @ MMA-2

Technology revolution going on with the master piece at the Murtala Mohammed Airport 2 (MMA-2) is laudable, but absence of wireless internet access mitigates the 21st century development, reports REMMY NWEKE.

A Lagos-based upcoming business executive Mr. Ogbonna Isiokwe, could be described as an average Nigerian local air traveler.

Though, he heard about the opening of newly completed Murtala Mohammed Airport 2 (MMA-2) for business, some few months ago, but the last time he traveled was through what is now referred to as MM-1; he bought his Chanchangi ticket at the counter, made his way through the immigration then to the waiting lobby for air passengers.

Fortunately, he had another business engagement lately, which must be met in the course of the day and needed to drive himself to the airport straight to MMA-1 where he was informed that most locally airlines are now lifting passengers from MMA-2.

Initially, he thought MMA-2 was at the international airport which was also named after the Nigerian military hero, late General Mohammed, but was directed to the real MMA-2.

Determined to leave his car at the airport without any disturbance to anybody to drive him to and from the airport, especially on return in the evening, Mr. Isiokwe asked for the car park on getting to the MMA-2. His drive through the three-storey parking lot was an exciting experience to behold.

Beginning with the automated entrance gate would only open after you have pressed the system button, a receipt automatically prints out, indicating the time of entrance and date.

Afterwards, he was told by airport staff that payment could only be made on your way out, so he was shown the way down through the stairs to the departure hall.

Crossing the road towards the departure entrance, the automated door opened as he approached with about two foot away, though he also discovered later there is manual doors which could be pushed or pulled if one is going out or coming in into the ticket floor within the departure hall.

Looking around, he found the counter of one of his favourite airlines, but was told that the fare has increased from N15,000 to N18,000, which was out of the way of his initial budget, as one of the ticketing assistants informed him of the banking hall, just behind, leading to what he discovered as Mr. Biggs lobby with another entrance to the Very-Important Persons (VIP) parking lot.

There, he saw SkyeBank and AccessBank but did not have major bank dealings with these banks, so on sighting an Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Isiokwe reached out for his Interswitch enabled ATM card and was able to withdrew money to make up to the required N18,000 x 2 to cover his return ticket.

However, on getting to the ticketing counter, Isiokwe was told the flight was fully booked and could check with the next available flight – Aero contractors - to his choice of destination and business, which was Abuja.

Also on getting to Aero sales counter, he was told that the fare is N20,000 for one leg of the trip. This forced him back to the ATM where he made another withdrawal to cover his return ticket. All this effort was because he remembered vividly that on his last trip to Abuja, he only saw one ATM disbursing system at the local wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.

Funny enough, Isiokwe was not alone as he soon met another colleague, Yemi Ochia, who approached him, complaining of low battery of his mobile handset, hence they searched in a few ground floor shops without success before the Information Desk officer directed them to check with the some mobile operators’ customer care centres right inside the FoodCourt upstairs.

Unfortunately these centres do not sell accessories as chargers but their own services and some mobile handsets. So, they rushed outside the premises to fetch one and return to MM-2 lobby down stairs.

While waiting for their flight they decided to make use of the time by working via their laptops and mobile devices with Internet enabled Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), but to their chagrin, there was no wireless service around. Wireless access like hotspots is known to be pronounced mostly at public venues, offering Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) access. The public could use a laptop, WiFi phone, or other suitable portable device to access the Internet at this spot.

Noteworthy is that of the estimated 150 million laptops, 14 million Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and other emerging Wi-Fi devices were sold per year in the last few years globally, most include the Wi-Fi feature.

Wi-Fi or hotspots are found at restaurants, train stations, airports, libraries, hotels, hospitals, coffee shops, bookstores, fuel stations, department stores, supermarkets and other public places. Many universities and schools also have wireless networks in their campuses.

For both Isiokwe and Ochia, development of wireless access at MMA-2 has become imperative as a new business angle that the nation’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should top on as key to sustaining the technology innovations going on at MMA-2, so as to further make it a 21st friendly technology environment.

They also called for usage of the MMA-2 master plan as a modernization edifice of Nigeria’s airport building and infrastructure layout to actually make our airports a place to behold, especially the so-called international airports.


ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D