- Overall, 65% of FBOs currently provide public Wi-Fi access
- 73% of these FBOs are at larger airports
- 45% of these FBOs are at smaller airports
size of the airports is based upon the aircraft activity for general
aviation transit and local activity as reported by FAA Airport Data.
For the survey, Sky-Nets defined larger airports to have 30,000 or more
applicable aircraft activity and smaller airports are those that have
less than that amount.
"The results show a majority, or 55%, of
FBOs in smaller airports currently do not offer public wireless
Internet access," said Eric Geier, Founder and President of Sky-Nets.
"Although smaller airports may receive less aircraft activity and
visitors, it doesn’t mean general aviation and corporate pilots and
passengers aren’t in need of the convenient service. There’re many
benefits. For example, pilots can quickly check weather conditions and
use flight planning tools with their own mobile devices, such as
laptops and PDAs, and access e-mail and perform other on-line functions
for personal and business related communications."
Along with
other research and from expertise in the wireless arena, Sky-Nets came
to some conclusions to why FBOs, particularly whose in smaller
airports, have been slow to "unwire:"
- FBOs have a fairly small profit margin and don’t want to spend the time or money.
- Like
most consumers, FBOs may not have the understanding of wireless
networking and don’t know how to properly setup a Wi-Fi hotspot. - FBO generally lack knowledge of Wi-Fi security and the legal aspects of offering public wireless Internet access.
which offers FBOs free pre-configured hotspot equipment with
installation instructions and tips, which is funded via sponsorships.
"FBOs
need to offer public Wi-Fi access in order to support those visitors
using Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices, which are becoming increasingly
popular. Even the average consumer and self-proclaimed computer
illiterates are looking for Wi-Fi just about everywhere they go. Along
with the traditional devices (laptops and PDAs), many other gadgets are
currently or soon to be Wi-Fi-equipped, such as mobile phones, gaming
devices like the PSP (PlayStation Portable), digital cameras, and MP3
players, just to name a few," Eric Geier concludes.
