Minneapolis airport expands neutral host Wi-Fi

MINNEAPOLIS -- Two years ago, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was one of the world's first airports to offer public access to neutral host Wi-Fi. The wireless Internet service to travelers has now been expanded to include the Humphrey Terminal, through an agreement between the Metropolitan Airports Commission and wireless service provider Concourse Communications Group.

"Expansion of service means travelers have access to wireless Internet technology in gate and concession areas regardless of which terminal they use," said Vicki Tigwell, chair of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. "Whether you want to finalize a business presentation or e-mail clients, all you need is a wireless-equipped laptop, and you're in business."

Wi-Fi was first installed in phases at MSP's Lindbergh Terminal, beginning in March 2002. Wireless technology in the Lindbergh Terminal was expanded earlier this year to regional concourses A and B and the newest gates on Concourse C. Wireless service now is available at all Lindbergh Terminal gates, the Northstar Crossing concession area, airline lounges and the Grieve Conference Center.

Free-standing Internet stations provided by InGate Technologies are available in most Lindbergh Terminal concourses for travelers not carrying laptops.

One of 10 best airports

"In a recent article on MSNBC.com, MSP was rated as one of the 10 best airports in the U.S. for business travelers," said Joe Beatty, CEO of Concourse Communications. "Extending WiFi coverage to include all terminals and concourses assures they will continue to be in that elite group for the foreseeable future."

To access the Concourse wireless system, users must have a wireless-enabled device such as a notebook computer or PDA. They simply launch their Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.), and a "Welcome" page will appear. Some users may need to configure their device by setting the SSID (network identifier) to "concourse" or "MSP".

An access fee of $6.95 for a 24-hour period can be paid via credit card. Concourse also has roaming agreements with seven wireless Internet service providers, including Boingo, GRIC, iPass, SBC, Sprint PCS, STSN and WeRoam. Users who already have a subscription with one of those providers need only sign-on with a username and password.

In addition, the Concourse system offers wireless users access to several free information sites, including Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport's website, real-time flight information and links to headline news. The Concourse system supports all popular Virtual Private Networks, so enterprise users can securely access their corporate Intranet sites.