The path toward free Wi-Fi at Atlanta’s airport cleared a hurdle with an Atlanta City Council vote Tuesday.
The city council voted 12-0 in favor of approving a contract for an airport Wi-Fi infrastructure upgrade. The upgrade is necessary to handle the huge boost in users expected once Wi-Fi is made free at Hartsfield-Jackson International.
Airport officials hope to complete the work in the next few months and make the Wi-Fi service free by summer.
Johnson Controls was selected the do the work after submitting the lowest bid at $3.6 million for the contract. But on top of that amount, the airport is offering an incentive of up to $2 million to finish the work quickly. That means that in a best-case scenario, the Wi-Fi could be free by the end of March.
The Wi-Fi costs $4.95 today, which Hartsfield-Jackson interim general manager Miguel Southwell called a “competitive disadvantage” for the Atlanta airport. Southwell said the airport gets hundreds of complaints per month about the desire for free Wi-Fi.
About the Author
