Centerlines - December 2008 - (Page 41)

NEW TECHNOLOGY ARINC’s GateFusion will use Wi-Fi to upload and download data to and from aircraft. posals for free Wi-Fi. Using Time Warner sponsorship dollars, a local nonprofit organization called Project Lily Pad installed the system, which passengers access at no cost. Other areas of the airport under a concession contract with T-Mobile are still fee-based. Airline and Airport Use Although Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky does not yet have its own wireless network—it is researching the feasibility of getting one— employees have been using broadband cards for about two years. They perform productivity-enhancing tasks such as e-mail connectivity while traveling, remotely connecting to operational systems 24/7 to monitor alarms and remedy problems, and monitoring weather conditions during snow removal. First easing into Wi-Fi technology with pilot projects in 2004, the next year the Greater Orlando Airport Authority had all of its terminal and ramp areas blanketed with a Wi-Fi system it owns and operates. “Here it was first and foremost for missioncritical applications and second for the convenience of internet access to the public,” said airport IT director John Newsome. “Given that, the incremental investment required to offer this to the public was nearly zero. We recommended that we not charge the public . . . it has come to expect free internet access.” Newsome is also the chairman of the ACI-NA Business Information Technology Committee. of Wi-Fi access points really costefficient. We implemented our [passenger use] system with minimal cost because we already had a campus-wide wired infrastructure in place,” said Samuel Ingalls, assistant director, information systems at the McCarran International Airport, where passengers began logging on in January 2005. “We have been very active proponents in the airport industry for complimentary access,” Ingalls said. “At McCarran, we felt strongly that pro- viding complimentary Wi-Fi access would be a significant customer service benefit.” Sponsorship Hotspot operator-owned networks are a source of airport revenue, but so is sponsorship on airport-owned networks. In a sponsorship scenario, users logging on may land on a splash page, see some ads and then access the internet. McCarran, which examined both revenue models, opted for sponsorship. “Revenues from some conference sponsoring were [better] than from a paid model,” explained Ingalls. The airport plans to sign a longterm deal with a sponsor. The Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport began with fee-based Wi-Fi service in 2006, split between T-Mobile in the Delta-controlled hold rooms and Cincinnati Bell in the remainder of the airport. When the Cincinnati Bell contract expired, staff sought pro- Good for the Local Economy The issue goes deeper than the simple provision of a free service. “A lot of conventioneers meet in Orlando, which has the second-largest convention center in the U.S. People want contact as soon as planes land,” said Carolyn Fennell, the public affairs director. “Wi-Fi goes www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES Handsets with Direct Connect capability increase productivity and reduce costs. 41 http://www.aci-na.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Centerlines - December 2008

Centerlines - December 2008 Contents President’s Message Canadian Airports Associates’ Corner Policy Center On the Hill and On the Stump Cover Story: Airport Belt Tightening On Management: Pooling DBE Resources Revenue Arena: New Revenue Streams Griesbach Concessions Award Winners Security: Employee Screening Pilot Tests New Technology: Wireless Growth Now Underway Grand Openings New Members Index of Advertisers/Advertiser.com Box Scores

Centerlines - December 2008

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