World’s most wired airports

Other airports on our list that provide free Wi-Fi are shifting toward advertising, too. McCarran airport in Las Vegas has hosted a free network since January 2004, as a form of customer service. Searching for additional revenue, the airport will incorporate ads by the end of the year, says Sam Ingalls, McCarran's director of information systems.

"There is [consumer] pressure for airports that charge to go free," says Rich Bogen, managing director of FreeFi Networks, a Los Angeles-based company that offers ad- and content-supported Wi-Fi networks. "We've even heard travelers say that they book tickets so they'll have layovers where there is free Wi-Fi." Bogen, who works with Denver on its ad-supported network, says he's in talks with a number of other U.S. airports to make the same changes.

Some leading airports simply offer numerous connection options. At London's Heathrow (No. 7), Tokyo's Narita (No. 10), Paris' Charles de Gaulle (No. 12) and Munich International (No. 19), as many as 11 Internet providers compete side-by-side for business.

Though European and Asian countries often rank ahead of the U.S. in private broadband adoption, experts say international airports sometimes lag in offering Wi-Fi. Christian Gunning, marketing director for Wi-Fi service provider Boingo, attributes the difference to more expensive connection fees overseas. In the U.S., a day pass is usually $8 to $10. In Europe, where access is often charged per minute, having a day's worth of access can cost between 20 and 30 Euros (or $30 to $45 a day). "People in Europe tend to get on, use it and get off. In the U.S., it's more of an 'all-you-can-eat' model," says Gunning.

But above maintenance and equipment concerns are security issues. Experts say airport networks are on par, security-wise, with other public Wi-Fi networks. Waivers reminding users of potential risks pop up before a user can sign on. Airport IT heads ensure public users can't hack into the airport's private data networks. "There are different levels of security," notes Ingalls. "It's not one big, open system."

Travelers willing to pay for faster access can invest in airline lounge memberships. Delta runs more than 40 Crown Room Clubs in airports around the world. For an annual fee of $250 to $400, members get free T-Mobile wireless service. Non-members can pay $25 per visit, plus a service fee to T-Mobile. T-Mobile also provides service to American Airlines' Admirals Club. Members get complimentary service and access to workstations; one-day passes are $50 each.

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Of course, even seamless wireless access feels like less of a gift when you're forced to use it on the floor. A spacious new terminal with plenty of power ports, comfortable seats and workspaces, including PC stations, netted South Korea's Incheon International Airport the top ranking in wired facilities in our survey.

Other airports are upgrading their facilities along with their networks, or coaxing advertisers to sponsor workstations and power stations. Breidenbach says Minneapolis-St. Paul International's Wi-Fi connection is erratic, but she gives the airport high marks for the number of seats and electric outlets it offers. LaGuardia, she says, desperately needs to add such facilities. Las Vegas' McCarran builds plugs into seating areas every time it remodels. It has also converted phone booths into re-charge zones with seats and shelves; the costs were underwritten by Verizon. Detroit Metropolitan Airport has a similar program, called "Laptop Pitstops."

The multiplying number of Internet gadgets, from iPhones to Nokia tablets to Sony Portable PlayStation game consoles, is shaping the way airports deliver Wi-Fi. The convenience of accessing the Web from a mobile device means travelers are increasingly logging on after they deboard the plane. That's pushed some airports to improve network coverage in baggage claim areas.

Airlines are also working to bring connectivity to the skies. American Airlines is testing in-flight Internet service that will support Wi-Fi-enabled devices (for $12.95) on select flights, sometime in the first half of the year.

Eventually, says Ingalls, airports will be covered with "umbrella" wireless networks that will support passengers, air carriers, vendors and other airport workers. "In the future, for any major airport, wireless will be taken for granted."

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