By Marc Patterson
Today’s travelers are more connected than ever before, and have high expectations for connectivity on the go. Evaluation of more than 75 of the world’s most highly trafficked airports where Boingo Wireless manages WiFi services revealed some key and growing trends underpinning the data demand and device proliferation at airports.
Those trends have created a quantum shift in the way that new networks are designed and existing networks are upgraded. The industry needed to reimagine the connected passenger experience and ultimately this led to Boingo’s introduction of the S.M.A.R.T. WiFi network, which stands for Secure, Multi-platform, Analytics-Driven, Responsive and Tiered.
A revolutionary network approach to delivering super-fast and personalized connectivity options, S.M.A.R.T. network deployments include multiple classes of Wi-i services aimed at unique user/application profiles, allowing the network to intelligently manage the various types of usage across a public WiFi network. A typical S.M.A.R.T. network may include the following classes:
- Complimentary WiFi, providing users the ability to handle “basic” connectivity requirements, such as e-mail and web browsing. Depending on the venue, this level of service could be supported by advertising or sponsorship.
- A “Turbo Boost” premium tier of service, available for power users who want to stream media.
- “Enterprise WiFi,” a super-fast tier of service designed for frequent business travelers who need the airport WiFi network to function as an enterprise tool.
SUBHEAD: Get Smart With S.M.A.R.T.
Aligning differing application, user and usage profiles within a single WiFi environment requires a reimagining of the network from the ground up. Conventional network thinking surrounds “throwing bandwidth at the problem,” and in the WiFi world, “throwing access points (APs) at the problem” when connectivity issues arise. In fact, capacity is only part of the challenge, and in today’s dynamic mobile application world, WiFi networks need to be equally responsive to changing needs. The needs of travelers vary greatly between leisure passengers seeking access to social media, compared to business travelers that need airport WiFi to serve as an extension of their workplace network. S.M.A.R.T. networks improve customer satisfaction and ensure operational efficiency, cost management and monetization opportunities for airports because they are built to prioritize a wide range of application requirements for both passengers and venues across a high-capacity infrastructure..
According to MMGY Global, travelers that carry at least two devices represent a third of all passengers today. Serving the increasing demands and changing needs of air travelers means airports need to think outside of the box to meet speed, service and data demands. S.M.A.R.T. networks help airports navigate this challenge with network insights, location based service (LBS) options, responsiveness and scalability while providing more choice and security for passengers.
Airports are also increasingly reliant on non-aeronautical revenue. S.M.A.R.T. networks deliver additional opportunities for monetization with ad-supported complimentary WiFi, keeping end-users happy as well as helping airports protect the bottom line. Similarly, location-aware design measures traffic flow and location throughout the network, providing actionable analytic insights to airports to optimize the in-venue experience of concessions.
SUBHEAD: Inside S.M.A.R.T.
At the heart of S.M.A.R.T.’s flexibility is Boingo’s proprietary software-defined network (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) technology. Driving responsiveness to key network processes, SDN and NFV cloud-based network management is built on industry-standard hardware, delivering scalability while adapting to user demands and agility in managing multiple network functions. A new way of deploying network infrastructure, SDN supports the network automation to orchestrate traffic flow while NFV focuses on the services required to align with the virtualized environments they are supporting. The advancement of these technologies encourages networks to keep pace with innovation.
Specific to connectivity and credential security, end-users concerned with public Wi-i network protection need not worry as all S.M.A.R.T. networks are enabled with Passpoint technology, a powerful new wireless industry standard that makes connecting to WiFi as easy and secure as cellular. Passpoint supports WPA2 (Wireless Protected Access 2) encryption standards, providing enterprise-level security while employing security configurations that protect the core network.
Now available for airports worldwide, the first S.M.A.R.T. network installations launched in select U.S. airports in the first quarter of this year.
Ultimately, S.M.A.R.T. networks are built for the future based on their design to scale for consumer data, application, operational and customer support needs. Boingo’s converged design for airport Wi-i promises that wireless infrastructure can extend state-of-the-art services to travelers without sacrificing the fundamental need for speed and capacity.
BIO:
Marc Patterson, Vice President of Products, Boingo Wireless
Marc Patterson is responsible for the overall specification, development and management of Boingo’s diverse mobility portfolio, including Boingo’s WiFi, small cell/Distributed Antenna System (DAS), S.M.A.R.T networks and Boingo Broadband services, as well as the company’s web and mobile applications. Patterson brings more than 25 years of customer-focused, market-leading service development experience in wireless, mobility and security to Boingo. Patterson is the recipient of many wireless industry awards, and sits on the advisory board of Crowd Source Development. Patterson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Drexel University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
