Boingo Networks expands, offers turnkey solution: Boingo Networks, an aggregator service offering a single-bill encryption-enabled front-end to dozens of for-fee wireless networks, made several announcements today. Prime among them is the addition to their network of Airpath Wireless, a provider with a number of key airport hot spots located in AirTran Airways boarding areas. This adds 10 airports to Boingo's list which will shortly grow to 26; the rest are mostly via Wayport.
Boingo also announced a deal with Colubris Networks to offer Hot-Spot-in-a-Box, a fully configured access point ready to join Boingo's network. The price is $895; revenue sharing information was not made available. Boingo has produced a specification as well that would allow other manufacturers to create fully compliant access points with turnkey ease. Nomadix and Agere are already signed on; Nomadix made its announcement alongside Boingo in March.
Boingo didn't mention this as an announcement, but they offer service via The Gate Escape in the Los Angeles International Airport in Terminal 7 (United) in the Business Center. Slowly, we're achieving West Coast wireless connectivity.
Boingo's current list of AirPath airports are: Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland (BWI); Flint, Michigan (Bishop); Boston's Logan Airport (BOS); Greensboro, North Carolina (Piedmont Triad); Dayton, Ohio (James M. Cox); Philadelphia; Dallas; and Houston. According to their list of future sites in their database, these additional airports will be available: Atlanta (Hartsfield); Buffalo, New York; Canton, Ohio; Newark, New Jersey (also a Concourse location for the future); Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi; La Guardia (ditto for Concourse); Chicago (Midway, the increasingly popular secondary airport); Miami, Florida; Minneapolis (already served by Concourse); Newport News, Virginia; Pittsburgh; Toledo, Ohio; and Tampa, Florida.
Boingo's plans continue to make sense as they attempt to expand their network. Nonetheless, Sky Dayton's prediction of 4,000 hot spots by year's end is still about 90 percent short. The next few months should be key ones for them as various partners not yet hooked up finalize their arrangements.