Detroit Metropolitan Airport expands free Wi-Fi

Advanced Wireless Group, LLC (AWG), a leader in the design, integration, and operation of large venue public wireless networks, has been selected by Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA), operator of Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), to enhance the airport’s complimentary wireless connectivity to travelers. Through this new partnership, DTW will expand its existing, free Wi-Fi service to allow airport customers unlimited access at higher speeds beginning this fall.

“A key goal in competitively bidding and awarding this contract is to improve the quality of the complimentary Wi-Fi service which has been available at Detroit Metropolitan Airport since last September,” said WCAA CEO Tom Naughton. “We believe our customers will be very pleased with the higher network speed and unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi which will soon be available.”

To meet the needs of the airport’s passengers, tenants, and operations, AWG was selected to operate, manage and maintain three related service components; Wi-Fi Network and Services, Cellular Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and Services, and Managed Cabling Infrastructure and Services. Each one of these systems and services are critical to meeting the needs of the airport’s operations.

“As the mobile landscape continues to explode, we’ve seen demand for wireless broadband grow at astounding rates, which we fully expect that trend to continue,” said Scott Phillips, CEO of AWG, “The continued network expansion and cross platform integration of Wi-Fi and DAS technologies at DTW will increase the reliability of both voice and data connections on Detroit Metro’s network while enhancing mobile broadband speeds.”

AWG has rounded out the team at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with two of the leading companies in the fields of Cellular/DAS and Cable Management Services. Crown Castle Solutions Corporation will manage Cellular/DAS while Black Box Network Services will manage the airport’s Cabling Services.

Once the transition to AWG’s infrastructure is complete in Fall 2013, airport customers will be able to connect throughout both passenger terminals at no cost upon viewing a 30-second advertisement not more than once every 45 minutes.

This sponsor-supported model enables the airport to offer unlimited, enhanced Internet access at no cost to travelers while continuing to ensure the network can support growth in demand without loss of service quality.

Under the terms of this contract, AWG will operate, manage and maintain DTW’s Wi-Fi and DAS and structured wiring infrastructure for five years with the option of three additional, two-year terms.