Adoption and diffusion of free wireless internet parks in Qatar
Al Shafi, Vishanth Weerakkody · International Journal of Value Chain Management · 2010
The Qatari Government has launched free wireless internet parks (iPark) concept with a view of providing free internet access for all citizens while enjoying the outdoors. By offering free wireless internet access, the Qatari Government encourages its citizen's to actively participate in the global information society with a view of bridging the digital divide. The adoption and diffusion of iPark services will depend on user acceptance and availability of wireless technology. This research presents the results of a survey undertaken in three public parks in Doha, the capital of Qatar to examine citizens' acceptance of the iPark initiative. The results of the survey showed that there is a positive level of relation between the independent variables, usefulness, ease of use, internet safety and internet speed/response time and one dependent variable, intention to use the iPark in Qatar. The paper provides a discussion on the key findings, research implications, limitations and future directions for the iPark initiative in Qatar.