US airports put seamless Wi-Fi connectivity on the agenda for smartphone-addicted travellers

The demand for seamless Wi-Fi connectivity might soon soar in travel-related hubs like airports.

According to Bloomberg, US airlines want to satisfy their Internet-conscious global travellers by installing Wi-Fi hotspots and the necessary infrastructure on their terminals and planes. This trend in turn has been triggered by millions of passengers all over the world carrying their Internet-wired smartphones, which have replaced the toothbrush, deodorant and driver’s license, as their indispensable travel tools.

The behaviour of international globetrotters has changed with the advent of cellular devices. With 9,642 travellers from 19 countries, Expedia/Egencia Mobile Index conducted an online research in North America to examine how these fast-travelling passengers regard their mobile devices. Sixty percent admitted they were “addicted” to their smartphones and would never really “unplug” from it. About 30 percent confessed they would experience a sense of joint disorientation and confusion without their phones. Eighty-four percent carry their smartphones because they want the power to access information regardless of whether they are on land or flying 10,000 miles above it.

Business travellers use their smartphones as a way to connect to the office 24/7, while vacationers click on them to find the destinations, where they can have a good time. Both types of travellers also use their devices to take photos of themselves and their activities, and post them on social media.

Perhaps sensing this trend, leading international airlines that want to keep their passengers wired and satisfied are providing Wi-Fi access during flights. In the same Bloomberg report, Jason Rabinowitz, Routehappy’s data research manager, said almost all flights traversing the United States provide Wi-Fi services. American, Delta, and United have led the campaign in installing accessible Wi-Fi in their planes.

Routehappy, a New York start-up that studies the facilities as well as amenities offered by airlines, also showed that three Middle East airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi: Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines also count among the top 10 Wi-Fi-wired airlines.

Other companies are doing their fair share to keep the transmittal of Wi-Fi signals in airports continuous and running. According to Businesswire, US Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless provides its travelling smartphone subscribers with Wi-Fi that have speeds ranging from 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps. Boingo’s airline wireless service is currently available at the following airports: Baltimore’s Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Boston’s Logan International, Chicago’s Midway International, Chicago’s O’Hare International, Newark Liberty International, and New York’s John F. Kennedy International and La Guardia International.

Smartphone-carrying passengers are also finding ways to keep themselves plugged. Twenty-eight percent of the respondents in the Expedia research said that they always bring an extra battery or a rechargeable pack.

The network extender, a lifestyle product from 5BARz International (OTCQB: BARZ), may soon become another common travelling accessory. This revolutionary plug-and-play device, which is no bigger than a paperback, can amplify a cellular phone’s weakening signals. One fading bar of signal can spark up to a fullness of five. International travellers will also find the network extender very easy to carry; it can fit in a small bag, a suitcase, or even a pocket, without any bulky, tangled cables to wear the owner down.

Without fear of downtime, business travellers can report to their home offices while tourists can check out the hottest restaurants, resorts, and attractions in the destinations they are visiting.

The network extender has been enjoying growth since its launch in the United States, and has made headway in India, the second largest wireless community in the world. 5BARz International is set to distribute it in ten more countries. There is a very good chance that many of its future users will be found in the airport terminals.

Global travellers who find their smartphones and other cellular devices an essential part of their lifestyle will enjoy a more convenient way to connectivity through the network extender.