Sprint to Offer Free Wifi at Airports Through Boingo

[jeffcarp]

Wow. So no Android devices can use the Boingo WiFi

I don't believe them that it does not work with Android devices. On the HTC m9 within the wifi settings there is a specific setting that you can check to automatically connect to Passpoint Secure devices. If it doesn't work with Boingo then it is definitely something on their end and not inherent in Android.

[nahum365]

Weird seeing all the BWI complaints, I had never been to BWI until 2 weeks ago. I downloaded 2 movies using Plex Sync to watch on the plane over band 41 sitting at my (Southwest) terminal. It wasn't super fast, but about 8mbps, way faster than the airport wifi. I was bouncing between a sprint and clearwire b41 though, but both were about the same.

 

I second this. It's not bad at all right now. Service throughout the terminal, B41 on the upper level. Heading there again this weekend, should be even better now with the automatic WiFi!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Paynefanbro]

Alexander Maxham from Android Headlines said he noticed a Sprint device running Android that he had, had automatically connected to the Boingo Hotspot in the airport and he didn't do it manually but he just assumed that it was random.

 

http://www.androidheadlines.com/2015/04/sprint-and-boingo-enter-multi-year-wifi-agreement.html

[cortney]

Sprint is finally making it seem like their in it for the longhaul. With WiFi "roaming", small cells, and what seems like LTE-LAA, Sprint is in a great position in terms of their network.

For sure. Their gestures are showing how they want improvements every day for all users, instead of asking customers to play a 6/12 month waiting and "press your luck" game with "duopolist"-esque but unrealistic EOY maps and promises like another carrier. 

 

This is definitely a new Sprint, and although I think we all can't help but want more quicker, I think it really is coming at a reasonable pace and they aren't screwing around.  

[bretton88]

Most Android devices (if not all) can use the Boingo WiFi. The Sprint Connection Optimizer is going to delect it for you automatically in Android.

Well, I guess my next phone won't be a Nexus, while I enjoy pure Android, we miss out on carrier fun stuff like this and WiFi calling. Or are we aware of any way to connect that does not required the sprint connection optimizer?

[S4GRU]

Well, I guess my next phone won't be a Nexus, while I enjoy pure Android, we miss out on carrier fun stuff like this and WiFi calling. Or are we aware of any way to connect that does not required the sprint connection optimizer?

 

I'm sure there will be a work around where you can manually connect to a Boingo hotspot.  But WiFi calling, that may not happen.  Except, of course, via Google Hangouts VOIP.

[orangeblue]

Noice! Sacramento.

 

They don't even has the das/macro cell upgraded to LTE there.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

 

LOL, missing are San Francisco, San Jose, Las Vegas... all airports with bad Sprint coverage because no DAS

[lilotimz]

LOL, missing are San Francisco, San Jose, Las Vegas... all airports with bad Sprint coverage because no DAS

 

San Francisco is okay. There's B26/25 and Clear B41 serving the terminals. Free wifi coverage is available there as well. 

[WiWavelength]

Free wifi coverage is available there as well. 

 

Airports that charge for Wi-Fi are asshats.  So, I am not overly impressed with the Boingo deal.  That was my initial reaction when this thread was posted.

 

AJ

[mc_gusto]

San Francisco is okay. There's B26/25 and Clear B41 serving the terminals. Free wifi coverage is available there as well.

Yeah the wifi at sfo was pretty good especially for free. And a plethora of outlets and deskspace near alot of gates. The renovation definitely had tech in mind.

[Rawvega]

LOL, missing are San Francisco, San Jose, Las Vegas... all airports with bad Sprint coverage because no DAS

 

Free wifi already at McCarran, at least there was last time I was there.

[Mr.Nuke]

LOL, missing are San Francisco, San Jose, Las Vegas... all airports with bad Sprint coverage because no DAS

SFO, LAS, and SJC all have free wifi. I'm not sure what your point here is.

[ITK79]

I flew into SNA today and my phone didn't connect to the Wi-Fi there. It asked for login info I guess there could still be some issues to work out or it is an issue with having an android phone.

[Thomas L.]

Am I missing something here? I don't think this will have anything to do with the Sprint Connections Optimizer POS app. It's a good bet all of this will be done using Passpoint, which was standarized by the Wi-Fi Alliance, using 802.11u: "Security in Passpoint can be quite high. SIM-based devices, usually mobile phones, can be authenticated based on the SIM ID, which is the same ID used for the cellular network. All Passpoint connections are secured with WPA2-Enterprise for authentication and connectivity, and Passpoint enhances WPA2-Enterprise by adding features to mitigate common attack methods in public Wi-Fi deployments."

 

More information: http://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-certified-passpoint

 

Devices which are Passpoint certified: https://www.wi-fi.org/product-finder-results?sort_by=default&sort_order=desc&categories=4&subcategories=38&capabilities=1

 

Several European carriers have been making use of Passpoint extensively to enable seamless transitions between their wifi hotspots and their mobile network, with seamless authentication done based on the SIM card. One provider in Belgium actually managed to offload 45% of their data traffic to wifi hotspots using carrier grade wifi access points in really dense urban areas, along public transportation routes, etc.

 

Passpoint can even relay provisioning information to the phone so that information is sent over what amounts to a VPN (separate from what normal users of an access point use). I actually believe this is what Google is doing with Project Fi. 

[nahum365]

I was able to connect to Boingo's free WiFi at BWI after answering a two question survey. I'm 99% sure it wasn't the free Sprint WiFi because I did have to connect my phone manually and it was throttled to 5Mbps.

As far as LTE.. not as good as I thought. B41 in the departures area but the lower floor is a mix of roaming and 1x800.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mnjeepmale]

Was at MSP and this didn't connect me automatically. Had to manually connect to the free WiFi.

[mozamcrew]

Nice that they snuck billings airport in there. Any other airport that they don't have native coverage in?

Well, hopefully they will soon have native coverage in Billings....

[ingenium]

So anyone on a Nexus device or running a custom rom are unable to use this? What about those that disabled the connections optimizer?

I was just in the Detroit airport yesterday with a stock Nexus 6 and it didn't connect. I could see their Passpoint network and that it used WPA2-Enterprise, but I needed credentials to connect. I don't believe the Nexus 6 supports Passpoint.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6

[jeffcarp]

I just ran into one very bad experience with this service. The Des Moines Airport has Boingo hotspots with the boingo SSID but that airport apparently is not part of this program. The phone went nuts constantly trying to connect to that SSID automatically but then disconnecting when apparently it learns that it couldn't make the connection. There was basically nothing I could do because it is an automatic process.

[avb]

I just ran into one very bad experience with this service. The Des Moines Airport has Boingo hotspots with the boingo SSID but that airport apparently is not part of this program. The phone went nuts constantly trying to connect to that SSID automatically but then disconnecting when apparently it learns that it couldn't make the connection. There was basically nothing I could do because it is an automatic process.

That sounds like it'll kill your battery too.  Maybe try contacting Sprint and letting them know so they can hopefully fix this.

[grapkoski]

That sounds like it'll kill your battery too.  Maybe try contacting Sprint and letting them know so they can hopefully fix this.

 

I had this issue at DCA during my last travel spurt. Sent a note to Boingo customer service who apologized and said they would forward to the right team. I have a feeling there is a just a bandwidth constraint at National in general. No matter which carrier there is just not enough bandwidth to go around for such a dense airport.

 

That said, it is much more efficient space wise than the hell that is Dulles.

[ericdabbs]

Anyone try this out?

[Rawvega]

Anyone try this out?

 

I tried to use it at Phoenix Skyharbor International Airport last week on my way home. I couldn't get it to work though. I had the connection optimizer enabled and I thought that it was supposed to connect automatically, but no dice. Oh well, I had B41 there for the most part anyway. /shrug

[sbolen]

I tried to use it at Phoenix Skyharbor International Airport last week on my way home. I couldn't get it to work though. I had the connection optimizer enabled and I thought that it was supposed to connect automatically, but no dice. Oh well, I had B41 there for the most part anyway. /shrug

I'm flying STL > DAL > LAX on Thursday. Hope I have better luck!

[Rawvega]

I'm flying STL > DAL > LAX on Thursday. Hope I have better luck!

 

You likely will. I'm sure that I probably did something wrong.