If you believe everything you read, you probably think wireless Internet access is the first technology miracle of the 21st century and that it’s coming soon to an airport near you soon.
Well, don’t believe everything you read.
For example, when the ubiquitous Associated Press proclaims that new wireless technology promises to “soothe delayed passengers,” don’t buy it. Those of us who use wireless technology day in and day out know the things it does, and soothing us is not one of them.
When the Sunday travel section in your local paper heralds airport Internet access as a red-hot tech trend, don’t get taken. Business travelers have been logging on to the ‘net from wireless modems ever since there have been … well, wireless modems. And this I can say with certainty: the wireless modem is not new.
But long-term, is it possible that this kind of high-speed access will make our inevitable layovers more productive? That’s a question the AP, which isn’t exactly known for its in-depth reporting, pretty much ignored.
Good thing you’re scrolling through this column, because it’s not the first time you’ve read about wireless Internet access in my weekly postings. Unlike other travel columnists, I write about cellular technology every other week (and sometimes more often, much to the dismay of my editor).
So what’s the deal with wireless technology at the airport? I asked around, and here’s what I found out:
It’s here. Kind of. Delta Air Lines offers wireless networks at its Vancouver, British Columbia terminal and plans to add similar technology next year at terminals in its hub cities of Atlanta, Cincinnati and Dallas. United Airlines will begin offering wireless Internet access in up to 50 air terminals around the world next year. And United will soon offer high-speed, wireless technology in its first-class and frequent flyer lounges. Until then, the best way to get online is to find the closest phone.
It’s technology for technology’s sake – for now. I checked with Tim Rider, the director of Delta Air Lines’ wireless programs. What’s behind this push for wireless access? “The apparent rush to market for this product is more related to the availability of technology and service providers,” he admitted. It’s not out of some sudden concern for passengers upset at delays. There are better ways of calming angry passengers down. A handful of drink vouchers would be a good start.
It’s expensive. The number-crunchers at the market research firm DataMonitor project that unlimited access to the most popular wireless systems will cost between $40 and $60 per month. But Sohrab Torabi, a DataMonitor analyst believes demand is strong for the technology and that business travelers will pay for high-speed access. “Wireless technologies enable airlines to provide customers with the level of service and respect they desire,” says the cellular expert. In the near term, this means that leisure travelers will get to admire the technology from afar, while road warriors on an expense account can indulge their bandwidth cravings. That’s just as well – wouldn’t want to clog the network with kids downloading the latest Napster tunes now, would we?
It’s fast. Really fast. Just in case you were wondering how quick the access is: Austin, Texas-based Wayport, Inc., offers wireless high-speed Internet access for travelers at speeds 50 times to 200 times faster than traditional dial-up modems. The new MobileStar Network lets users access an office Local Area network at 40 times the rate of a modem connection, which, as the company points out, “leaves dial-up modems and ISDNs in the dust.” And Aerzone offers wireless connectivity at “many times the speed of a T1 line,” according to company spokeswoman Gloria Parrish. Not bad.
But let’s not fool ourselves here. For the next three years, wireless access at the airport is going to be expensive, cumbersome and rare. Anyone who suggests otherwise just doesn’t understand technology or business travelers – or both.
In time all that could change. Prices are sure to drop. The bugs will get fixed. The technology will be more pervasive. And there’s a very good chance that then, wireless airport access will really become what that the ignorant mainstream press thinks it now is: a service that distracts travelers long enough for them to forget that they’re delayed at the airport again.
I normally get the last word in all of my columns, but not this week. Seems I’m not the only one who’s upset that these wireless systems are being pitched (or perceived) as a technology that will mollify airline passengers. My colleague Charlie Leocha wrote a scathing column about wireless technology on Ticked.com recently.
“What the passengers want is truthfulness, not gadgets,” he wrote. “If we could believe the airline schedules, it would make our lives much better and our travels much easier. Rather than claiming that such-and-such airline has the earliest departure for such-and-such destination, airlines should work to claim they have schedules that passengers can count on and they provide baggage handling that puts luggage in the right airport at the right time.”
Couldn’t have put it better myself, Charlie.
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