Zain inks global Wi-Fi deal with iPass

The Kuwait-based mobile communications group Zain has signed a deal with Wi-Fi hotspot roaming aggregator iPass which will give Zain customers access to over 700,000 hotspots in 117 countries worldwide on the iPass network. Zain customers can access Wi-Fi networks globally via smartphones or tablets but pay for the service on their regular mobile phone bill. iPass does not deploy its own hotspots but acts as an reseller for numerous telcos and location owners. Zain, meanwhile, has mobile subsidiaries in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan, and also has operations in Lebanon and Morocco.