Los Angeles International Airport to provide passengers free Wi-Fi service beginning summer 2012

Meeting one of the top demands by passengers for improved customer service at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today approved a $663,333 two-year concession agreement plus a one-year extension option with Advanced Wireless Group LLC (AWG) to provide free Wi-Fi service to travelers. The free service could begin as early as this summer. Passengers will be able to use Wi-Fi basic services for free for sessions lasting less than 45 minutes. Passengers also will be able to opt to pay for premium and uninterrupted Wi-Fi service for a 24-hour period.
The agreement also calls for AWG to upgrade, operate, and maintain the public wireless Internet system at the airport for minimum annual guaranteed revenues to Los Angeles World Airports of $283,333 in the first year, $380,000 in the second year, and $420,000 in the third option year, if exercised.
“I am very pleased that Los Angeles World Airports will soon be providing residents and visitors to Los Angeles with free Wi-Fi service while they are at LAX,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa. “This builds on our LA Wi-Fi Initiative to provide free or low-cost Internet services throughout the city and to connect all of Los Angeles to the global community and global economy.”
“A major focus of our customer service improvements is to create a cohesive, memorable and positive experience for travelers at LAX,” said LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey. “Given passenger expectations and trends at major airports and other public facilities, our agreement with Advanced Wireless Group will allow us to meet the demands of today’s travelers for free Wi-Fi service at LAX and to continue our commitment to excellent customer service.”
LAX currently offers Wi-Fi service on a payment basis only, at a cost of $9.99 per session with T-Mobile USA. Since T-Mobile does not provide free Wi-Fi and has reported to LAWA that it will no longer provide Internet services as part of its business model, airport officials consider today’s concession agreement will provide a bridge from the current for-pay service to a better, longer-term solution involving a distributed antenna system (DAS), which requires time to undertake a competitive contracting process and a significant investment in infrastructure by the winning proposer.