Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless announced agreements to become the first international Wi-Fi provider at three major Chinese airports: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). Boingo says it now provides Wi-Fi at four of the five busiest airports in China, including Beijing Capital International.
Boingo also introduced a streamlined way for iOS users to purchase its services: through the iTunes store. The latest version of Boingo’s Wi-Finder app now links directly to an existing iTunes account and can be used to purchase a Boingo wireless access plan for $7.99 per month,which can be activated on multiple iOS devices.
Strategy Analytics predicts that devices with the new 802.11ac standard will explode in the next five years, exceeding the 1 billion unit mark by the end of 2015, or about 40% of the market. That figure includes routers and gateways, but the report also estimates that global sales of next-generation Wi-Fi consumer electronics will reach 2.8 billion in 2017.
Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets will drive early adoption, the firm said, with connected home devices such as televisions, streaming media players and other fixed devices to follow.
Jia Wu, director of connected home devices research at Strategy Analytics, said that the transition to 802.11ac is expected to be faster than the evolution to 802.11n.
“Consumers now have a better understanding of the benefits faster Wi-Fi can bring. Similar to the transition from 3G to LTE, once the CE device industry starts to adopt 802.11ac at full speed, consumers are very likely to embrace it,” he added.
Strategy Analytics analyst Eric Smith, author of the report, noted that despite the promising growth outlook, “some growth barriers such as lackluster backbone Internet speed still need to be cleared for consumers to fully take advantage of the benefits of the Wi-Fi evolution.”
The Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification program for 802.11ac products is slated for June.
Wireless infrastructure provider Mobilitie LLC collaborated with Cisco and MGM Resorts International to create what the three companies are calling “the highest-performing wireless LAN in the industry,” boasting 30% faster connectivity, automatic Wi-Fi connections and relevant advertising pushed to users’ mobile devices.
The roll-out started with the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Madalay Bay and The Mirage properties in Las Vegas in 2012, and Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur are expected to be turned on by late this summer. The installations cover public spaces such as the pools, casinos, lobbies and restaurants (guest rooms to come) and offer free Wi-Fi with an option to upgrade to higher bandwidth. Conference attendees can get customized Wi-Fi access speeds. The new system can support up to 120,000 concurrent users across Las Vegas and allows seamless roaming among MGM properties, regardless of which one is hosting a given conference.
At the Bellagio, the service includes a location-based map with point-by-point directions to restaurants, restrooms and retail stores as well as on-site promotional offers. This feature will be expanded to the other resorts.
Mobilitie deployed, owns and operates the systems.
“Wi-Fi is about enabling venues to engage their guests in ways that genuinely improve their experience of a location, yielding a true competitive advantage,” said Bryon Davis, senior VP of Wi-Fi strategy and operations at Mobilitie. “Whether it’s context-aware social apps, games, messaging or any number of emerging Wi-Fi enabled technologies, this launch is just the tip of the iceberg.”
