B ack on Monday, May 25, 2015, I posted this article which revealed a secret pertaining to unlimited free access to the Internet at airports which offer Wi-Fi service offered by Boingo Wireless for which you pay.
“Usually included in the purchase of your airfare is a Passenger Facility Charge, which is a fee imposed by approved airports for the improvement of their facility,” I wrote. “You might also be charged fees imposed by the airport — such as an airport departure tax. In my opinion, access to Wi-Fi services at no additional charge at airports should be part of that fee which you are already paying.”
That secret trick is apparently no longer necessary, as this recent official news release from Boingo Wireless — purportedly the leading Wi-Fi and distributed antenna system provider which serves consumers, carriers and advertisers worldwide — announced free and fast Wi-Fi access for travelers; while introducing new blazing-fast speeds of up to 20 megabits per second for power users and subscribers.
Airports Where Free Wi-Fi Access to the Internet is Now Available
This airport Wi-Fi service is now available at the following airports, with additional locations to be launched soon:
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport BWI
- Boston – Logan International BOS
- Chicago – Midway International MDW
- Chicago – O’Hare International ORD
- New York – John F. Kennedy International JFK
- New York – LaGuardia International LGA
- Newark Liberty International EWR
Options
The new faster speeds are part of the SMART Network — which stands for Secure, Multiplatform, Analytics-Driven, Responsive and Tiered — approach for Boingo Wireless. The “Tiered” portion of a SMART Network offers multiple speed options, depending on the needs of the traveler. All passengers can enjoy fast Wi-Fi access at no charge; while power users who need their airport Wi-Fi to function like an extension of their home or office environment can choose from several paid options, including speeds of 20 megabits per second and bursting to 50 megabits per second. All subscribers of Boingo Wireless — including those enrolled in the American Express Preferred Plan — will automatically receive the highest tier of speed when they log in.
Summary
This is a good move by Boingo Wireless: offer free Internet access with reasonable speeds to all passengers at airports it serves — while offering faster speeds of Wi-Fi access to the Internet at a fee or as part of a paid subscription.
Everyone wins, in my opinion.
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
