"Want Free Airport Wi-Fi? LAX Says Yes With a Hitch"

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Want Free Airport Wi-Fi? LAX Says Yes With a Hitch 
By Darren Booth
Special to CNBC.com


Phew! My hometown airport - Los Angeles International Airport - will begin
offering free Wi-Fi service beginning as early as this summer.

LAX was ranked the "most social" of all airports worldwide recently based on
the number of check-ins to Facebook and other services, but lacked free
Internet. On Tuesday, though, it was confirmed via a press release that the
Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved a $663,333 two-year
agreement with Advanced Wireless Group LLC to provide free Wi-Fi service to
travelers.

But it comes with a slight catch. Passengers will be able to use basic Wi-Fi
services for free on sessions lasting up to 45 minutes. Uninterrupted
service after that grace period will still come at a yet undetermined price
for a 24 hour session.

I'll take it, though.

Personally, 45 minutes is all I need while I'm in the terminal. I realize
not everyone has an airline lounge membership. But after I check in and pass
through security, I settle into the lounge which provides free Wi-Fi. When I
leave and head to the gate, however, I sometimes feel naked without it. Cell
service can be spotty in some areas of LAX from which to access a 3G or 4G
network. The free service for a limited time comes as a welcome relief to
this tech-addicted road warrior.

Presently, T-Mobile provides Wi-Fi service at LAX at a cost of $9.99 per
session. But they told Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) that they will no
longer provide Internet services as part of its business model.

Nearby Burbank Bob Hope Airport has offered free (unlimited) Wi-Fi for
years. Other airports across the country that offer free Wi-Fi include:

Denver International Airport
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (coming September 2012)

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