The Cloud bags Lord's Wi-Fi deal

Sky-owned Wi-Fi operator The Cloud has secured a five-year deal to provide wireless broadband services at Lord's Cricket Ground.

The agreement means visitors to Lord's will be able to take advantage of fast internet connectivity on enabled devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Cricket fans got their first opportunity to use the service at the recent Test match between England and South Africa.

The Wi-Fi network has initially been rolled out to the media centre, hospitality areas, food court and all public bars, while the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) - owner of Lord's - is looking at the possibility of extending coverage to each of the ground's 28,500 seats.

Derek Brewer, chief executive and secretary of the MCC, said high-speed Wi-Fi availability will add to the experience of visiting Lord's.

"The introduction of The Cloud represents another step to ensure that Lord's continues to set the highest standards for spectator experience in the game," he added.

Over the last six months, traffic on The Cloud's network has doubled to more than 100 million minutes a week, demonstrating the growing popularity of accessing the internet while on the move.