Boingo Wireless said the 5G network will support subscribers of U.S. carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon at the airport

Boingo Wireless has deployed a high-speed 5G network that will support subscribers of U.S. carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon at John Wayne Airport (JWA) in Orange County, California.

In a release, the company noted that cellular service will be complemented by an airport-wide Wi-Fi 6 network that will launch this year and provide passengers and airport personnel with connectivity in JWA’s high-traffic areas, including security checkpoints and boarding gates.

Boingo’s converged and neutral host network bring together 5G and Wi-Fi 6 throughout airport terminals and parking to deliver wireless coverage for calls, texts, mobile boarding passes, rideshare apps, airline apps and streaming.

“Innovation is at the forefront of our airport operations, requiring secure, fast, reliable Wi-Fi connectivity. Boingo understands our diverse needs and has kept John Wayne Airport ahead of the technology curve to deliver a superior guest experience,” said JWA Airport Director Charlene Reynolds. “From terminals to rideshare zones to parking structures, Boingo’s 5G and Wi-Fi 6 network will power 24/7 critical airport operations.”

Boingo also highlighted that JWA is investing in infrastructure upgrades to provide a streamlined passenger experience including self-service kiosks, digital wayfinding, mobile boarding passes and contactless concessions.

“Airports are complex venues with even more complex connectivity needs. With the rise of the touchless passenger journey and increasing reliance on digital tools for operations, Boingo is there to help airports navigate digital transformation. At forward thinking airports like JWA, we’re leading the industry by building 5G and Wi-Fi 6 networks that work together to make secure, reliable, fast connectivity for millions of connected devices a reality,” said Boingo CEO Mike Finley.

The network upgrades build upon Boingo and JWA’s long-term partnership, which has included enhancements to a neutral host DAS network and launching the first known Wi-Fi 6 airport deployment in 2019 at JWA. Now that Wi-Fi 6 is commercially available on consumer devices, Boingo said it is expanding the network airport-wide.

Wi-Fi 6 has an improved version of multi-user or MU-MIMO that lets devices respond to the wireless access point at the same time that involves multiple antennas, which let the access point talk to multiple devices at once. With Wi-Fi 5, the access point could talk to devices at the same time, but those devices couldn’t respond at the same time. 

In November 2023, Boingo Wireless has deployed a high-speed Wi-Fi 6 network throughout the Brasília International Airport (BSB), Brazil’s third busiest airport, with roughly 13 million passengers passing through per year. The network extends throughout the airport’s public spaces, terminals and across the tarmac.