Media News - Thursday, August 23, 2012

US: Google, Boingo bring their free Wi-Fi experiment to mall rats

Google and Boingo are building on their free Wi-Fi project in New York City, launching the advertising-paid access model in eight malls across the country. Though the project is still in its infancy, it represents a growing trend to make Wi-Fi a free and readily accessible resource, while depending on ad views to pay the bill. Boingo and Google didn’t name the specific malls, saying only that at least four of them would be in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tampa and Seattle. Google Offers will sponsor the service, meaning customers connecting to the hotspots with a smartphone, tablet or PC will encounter a welcome screen encouraging them to sign up for Google’s daily deal service. Regardless of whether customers sign up for the service or skip past the screen, they’ll get free, unrestricted access. In New York, Google and Boingo have offered the promotion in six subway stations and 200 hotzones throughout Manhattan on a trial basis until Sept. 7. The two are also working together to offer discounted Wi-Fi access in sixteen airports. Google Offers will be selling a half-off 24-hour pass for Boingo’s global footprint, which customers can buy when they log into any of the airport networks. (GIGAOM)

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