Last Thursday, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) began seeking proposals from wireless businesses that would like to host Wi-Fi at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to MAC spokesman Patrick Hogan. Among the commission's priorities in a new deal: securing at least some free access for travelers.
That would make more than a few people happy, including the reader who sent me an e-mail lamenting MSP's lag behind other airports in providing complimentary wireless Internet access. "Too bad 'Minnesota Nice' doesn't apply to airport Internet," he wrote.
At MSP, the fee to hook up one device for 24 hours is $7.95 through the current provider, Boingo Wireless. At hundreds of other airports, Wi-Fi users may be forced to watch an ad before they roam the Internet, and speed may slow down during peak periods, but those annoyances are the sole cost.
MAC's five-year contract with Boingo has expired, prompting the proposal request. Hogan said any change would occur at the end of the year at the earliest.
While free Wi-Fi is almost mandatory at neighborhood coffee shops, it is costly to install and maintain a Wi-Fi system at an airport like MSP, with 3 million square feet of terminal space, Hogan said. Pioneers were small airports such as those in Long Beach, Calif., and Lexington, Ky. The most likely scenario, given the need for any wireless company at the airport to generate revenue: complimentary Wi-Fi for a limited time or limited bandwidth, with the option of unlimited access for a fee. May the most generous company win the next contract.
Send your questions or tips to travel editor Kerri Westenberg at travel@startribune.com, and follow her on twitter @kerriwestenberg.
