Lord's Cricket Ground is heading into the modern era by rolling out free WiFi throughout the London venue.

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owner of the 'home of cricket', has signed a five-year deal with the Sky-owned The Cloud to install the wireless network.

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Visitors to the ground will be able to access a fast, user-friendly internet connection to browse the web free of charge on smartphones, laptops, tablets, eReaders and other devices.

The service launched initially during England's recent Test Match against South Africa, but focused on the Media Centre, hospitality areas, the Food Village and in the vicinity of all public bars.

Following this initial rollout, MCC intends to expand the free WiFi to every stand in the ground, reaching a total of 28,500 seats at Lord's.

MCC chief executive and secretary Derek Brewer said that the availability of fast WiFi will enhance the experience of visiting Lord's.

"Spectators spend a whole day with us, so having secure access to the internet means that they can post photos and videos of their experience, as well as keeping up to speed with commentary and analysis of the match online," Brewer said.

"The service is also ideal for email access, general web surfing, social networking and media streaming. 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."

The Cloud managing director Vince Russell said that the company has seen a doubling of traffic on its WiFi network over the past six months to 100 million minutes a week, showing the appetite for WiFi in the UK.

"Whether they are an avid fan wanting to discuss the game on Twitter, or a businessperson who needs to send a couple of quick emails in between overs, there is a huge need for free WiFi to be available," he added.

Alongside providing free wireless internet to visitors, MCC will also use The Cloud's technology to offer a personalised landing page, highlighting information on facilities at the ground and exclusive offers on tickets for future matches.

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