Boingo Expands Wi-Fi Footprint With Opti-Fi Acquisition

One-time media darling Wi-Fi has recently been overshadowed in the press by newer wireless technologies like LTE and WiMAX. But Wi-Fi has recaptured the headlines this month as several companies have stepped up their activities in the area of wireless fidelity. Earlier in November, AT&T Inc. (T) announced plans to buy Wayport. And just this morning, Boingo Wireless revealed that it has acquired Opti-Fi Networks. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Opti-Fi Networks, a limited liability company from Parsons Transportation Group and ARINC, provides Wi-Fi infrastructure implementation and management for airports around North America. Boingo is the largest operator of airport Wi-Fi networks in North America. The acquisition adds 25 new airports to Boingo’s footprint, which now includes 55 airports and covers 43 percent of passenger enplanements in the top 100 North American airports.

The Opti-Fi acquisition includes such airports as Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Edmonton International Airport (YEG), El Paso International Airport (ELP), and Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO).

Passengers who access the Internet in the Opti-Fi locations will be able to purchase Boingo AsYouGo day passes for $7.95; or a subscription to Boingo Unlimited, a monthly account that provides unlimited Wi-Fi access to thousands of hotspots throughout the Americas for $21.95 per month. All these locations also work with Boingo Mobile, the company’s worldwide service for Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phones and tablets that costs $7.95 per month.

While bigger and supposedly better wireless technologies like LTE and WiMAX are on the horizon, Wi-Fi is a widely used, proven technology that’s here today and enables people to easily get online with a decent broadband connection and no wires. And AT&T and Boingo aren’t the only companies ramping up their activities on the Wi-Fi front. Cablevision Systems said it recently more than doubled its Wi-Fi footprint.

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