Coming Soon to New York-Area Airports: Free Wi-Fi

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey this week approved a deal that will bring free WiFi to four airports: New York JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Stewart.

According to New York governor Mario Cuomo, “As we prepare to transform JFK and LaGuardia into the internationally-renowned airports that New Yorkers deserve, access to free WiFi is one area where we can make quick progress.”

The Port Authority’s news release picked up on the same theme: “Customer feedback has consistently expressed a desire for free WiFi access at the agency’s airports.”

By this fall, the airports’ WiFi provider, a subsidiary of Boingo, will upgrade the WiFi infrastructure to allow for better connectivity and increased download speeds, from the current 3 Mbps to 5 Mbps.

Airport users will receive free Wi-Fi access for the first 30 minutes, after which they’ll pay $4.95 an hour or $7.95 for a full day.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sign Up

With free WiFi already offered by every one of the world’s top 15 airports, the change in the New York area airports is overdue. The 30-minute limit is sure to be criticized as inadequate as well. But it’s a step in the right direction. In any case, travelers may as well get used to the new pricing policy: The new contract with Boingo will remain in place for the next 10 years.

Reader Reality Check

Free is always good. But free-for-30-minutes … ?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.