Wi-Fi usage at Boston’s Logan Airport jumps 412% after going free

by McLean Robbins on

If there ever was an arguement for the positive effects of free airport Wi-Fi, this is it. The Massachusetts Port Authority Board says the number of passengers using its free wireless service to access the Internet at Boston’s Logan International Airport jumped by 412% last year. More than 1.4 million sessions were logged on its Wi-Fi network in 2010, compared with just over 349,300 in 2009.

That represents more than half of the more than 2.2 million sessions since Wi-Fi was first available at the airport in June 2004.

The free system was unveiled in January 2010 and is supported by advertising that users must view before accessing the Internet.

Having benefitted from Logan’s free Wi-Fi on numerous occassions, we can only hope that this is a movement other airports consider.

The arguement from a traveler’s perspective is simple – free Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere else … so why should we pay for it at airports? Anything that makes our air travel experience more pleasurable is something we’ll continue to champion.

[Flickr via Gurretto]

San Francisco airport turns on free WiFi for all

by Scott Carmichael on

Earlier today, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom announced that all public spaces at SFO will offer free WiFi for travelers.

The service had previously been offered as a paid option, but when the paid contract ended, the airport operator decided to switch to a free service instead.

As the airport serving the high-tech capital of the world, I’m amazed it took this long – though I’m sure many of the travelers passing through SFO already took care of their online access, with a mobile broadband adapter or tethered phone.

To get online at SFO, search for the network named “sfo free wifi” and accept the terms and conditions. As with any public WiFi network, be sure to practice safe surfing!

[Image from Flickr/bk2000]

The (Un)Wired: A Free Wi-Fi Manifesto

by Andrew Evans on

The year is twenty-ten A.D. and Wi-Fi should be free.
We travelers bear no grudge with you as long as you agree,
But if you’re that one schmuck who likes to play it old school,
Charging folks for internet–well, then basically, you’re a tool.

Your penny-pinching greed smells just like boardroom boredom.
It’s out of touch and backwards, not to mention just plain dumb.
Please get with the program, be ye airport or hotel:
If you don’t have free Wi-Fi, then you can go to hell.

Maybe somehow you’re still stuck way back in 1999,
But nowadays, we’re all online, everywhere and all the time.
We’re riding on a bullet train to a place called progress,
Get on it or get off it; win or lose, more or less.

Now don’t start waggin’ your finger and talkin’ ’bout capitalism.
‘Cuz what you’re doin’ and what that is, capitalism it isn’t.
You preach that competition matters most in a race,
But Bandwidth Bandit’s the losing horse, so here’s my trophy in your face.

Don’t believe the suits who tell us bloggers we’re too sassy,
‘Cuz let me tell you dittoheads, “Do you know what’s so not classy?”
Welcoming frequent flyers who only wanna soak their feet,
Then telling your five-star guest to go and check his email on the street.

Hey Luddite, while you’re at it, dream big, don’t stop there–
Stick your dirty hands in the water, in the men’s room, if you dare.
You could make a fortune charging for all the stuff that should be free.
A nickel to wipe, a dime to pee, and half a buck to breathe.Real funny how some of you think Wi-Fi’s, like, optional,
An extra perk like cushioned hangars or an ice bucket that’s full.
Well, keep your stupid coffee machine and you’re fancy new remote.
We watch TV online now, perhaps you didn’t know?

Now we’ve all got 3- and 4G, it’s isn’t like we need you,
It’s just your stupid concrete walls keep the signal from getting through.
So please stop annoying us or perhaps find another hobby?
‘Cuz right now I keep running with my laptop to the lobby.

I’ve been around the world, from Port Harcourt to Beijing,
The third world’s better wired than your top floor executive wing.
I can Twitter in Rwanda, get on Facebook and type,
But in your three-hundred-dollar hotel room, I can’t log on to Skype.

Now I spy with my bionic eyes the not-so-distant future,
And if you wanna be part of it, then let me offer you this here clue:
Soon every single traveler’s gonna check in with an iPad–
If your lousy hotel ain’t got Wi-Fi, than watch us get real iMad.

We won’t show up with pitchforks or with gas bombs at your door,
The way you’ll know we’re real pissed off is the way in which we ignore.
We’ll take a different airline, find a different place to play,
We’ll see you got no free signal, and we’ll simply walk away.

Really guys, don’t fret too much, it’s really no big whoop:
Your hotel will make a nice warehouse, or high-rise chicken coop.
Sit back and enjoy your silly ten-buck charges while they last,
You’ll need the cash come winter, when you’re freezing your homeless ass.

Sadly, it’s not just hotels who behave this way,
Not naming any names, LAX, IAD, JFK,
We’re talking to you ‘cuz your airports are such a mess.
You’re necessary but you still suck, so why not suck a little less?

Give us free Wi-Fi and we won’t hate you as much.
(Surely it costs less than nasty airport fudge.)
But you still just don’t get it and that’s exactly why,
We’d rather fly through Singapore, Portland or Dubai.

So here’s the proverbial memo you’ll keep swearing you didn’t get:
“Give us free Wi-Fi dammit, we deserve our internet.”
If not, then don’t complain when history adds you to the pile,
With drive-in movies, the horse-drawn carriage, civilization on the Nile.

So kudos to all those companies who know us, love and get us:
The mom and pop joints, B&Bs and dingy Chinatown bus.
You corporate minds should wake up now and please smell the coffee:
Starbucks has free Wi-Fi now, and so does MickeyDees.

What’s that you say? You still can’t catch the gist?
Of what everyone’s been sayin’–your kids and The Economist.
Really guys, it’s not so hard and I’m pleading on one knee,
It’s already twenty-ten A.D. and Wi-Fi should be free.

Peace out.

(Photo: Flickr Miklo Olivier, Dana-2)

Starbucks to offer free WI-Fi at all US locations starting July 1st!

by Scott Carmichael on

Starting July 1st, finding an online fix will be just as easy as finding your coffee fix. The official Starbucks Twitter account just announced that Wi-Fi will be free of charge at all their US locations. This instantly turns them into one of the largest operators of free Wi-Fi in the world.

Best of all, the Twitter announcement confirms that no registration will be required, and that connections will be “one-click”.

Even though 3G and 4G are becoming more popular (and available), finding a reliable connection isn’t always easy – and especially in large cities, Wi-Fi is often the only efficient way to do anything involving large files or video.

Five free and cheap alternatives to expensive hotel Wi-Fi

by Scott Carmichael on

Paid hotel Wi-Fi is one of my biggest pet peeves when I travel. I fully understood asking people to pay for Internet back in 1999, but in 2010, Internet is no longer considered an amenity – it is up there with a toilet and a television.

Unfortunately, plenty of hotels still find it perfectly acceptable to charge upwards of $10 for a day of access.

Short of finding somewhere better to stay, there isn’t all that much you can do – unless of course you read Gadling and follow our five tips.Borrow Wi-Fi from someone else

When you turn your laptop on, you’ll usually see the hotel Wi-Fi network, along with a bunch of other network names. These other networks are what you are after. There won’t be much chance of finding other networks if you are in a brandless motel in the middle of nowhere, but in most major cities, you are bound to find loads of them.

Increase your odds by staying on a high floor, and investing in a Wi-Fi boosting antenna like the Wi-Fire (reviewed here last year). Simply move the adapter to a window, and point outside.

One word of warning – never transmit personal data over a random connection you happened to pick up – install software that encrypts your traffic, or you may run the risk of others snooping on you.

Share one paid connection

Staying at a hotel with a bunch of colleagues or friends? How about purchasing one connection and sharing it with others? There is some technical trickery involved in this, but the basic procedure involves a special wireless router that can pick up one signal, and broadcast it to others.

Downsides involve getting caught, and having to share the speed of one connection with others – if one of you starts downloading a movie, everyone will suffer.

Tether your phone

Got a phone with an active data plan? Many of them can be “tethered”, which allows you to take your data connection, and share it with a laptop computer. In some cases, the process involves a one-time investment in tethering software (like PDANet), and on other phones you may need to do some hacking (like jailbreaking your iPhone).

Best place to start? Google “tether my phone”. One word of warning though – don’t overdo it! Operators don’t like tethering (unless you pay extra for it), and any massive data transfers may get some unwanted attention. Limit your surfing to we and email, and don’t do silly things like movie downloads.

Invest in a mobile broadband adapter

On the road a lot? If you regularly spend $20 on Internet access, you may want to invest in a mobile broadband adapter. These (usually) USB adapters plug into your laptop and offer access to a 3G or 4G network. These adapters often offer speeds on par with what the hotel can offer – but have the added advantage of working anywhere within the coverage area.

Be sure to pick a provider with good speeds/coverage, and remember that there may be places without coverage, or with so many people using the service that speeds grind to a halt. Expect to pay upwards of $40/month for the service.

Only need access one or two times a month? Consider a prepaid service like Verizon mobile broadband or Cricket (which can be turned on or off on a monthly basis).

Use a third party Wireless provider

Instead of paying for daily access to Wi-Fi, consider signing up for a third party Wi-Fi service like Boingo.

With Boingo, you pay a monthly fee ($9.95) for unlimited access to thousands of hotspots.

Take for example the Swissotel in Chicago – this property charges $10/day for Internet access, but Boingo subscribers can access it as much as they want, using their account – for under $10/month.

Best of all, Boingo works at airports, restaurants, cafes and thousands of other locations. When just one day of access can pay for the monthly subscription, you’ll understand why I consider this a great bargain.

Boingo subscriptions are available for unlimited use in the United States or as a global subscription for Wi-Fi locations worldwide. The Boingo service even makes the process of makes connecting easier thanks to a handy software client, available for Windows, Mac and several mobile devices.