Boingo Wireless


Boingo Wireless is an American company that provides mobile Internet access for wireless-enabled devices. The company reports having over one million small cell networks for cellular extension services and Wi-Fi access that reaches more than one billion consumers annually. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

History

In 2001, Earthlink co-founder Sky Dayton founded Boingo to address the then-fragmented state of Wi-Fi networks. He said he saw how Wi-Fi "could help make the Internet as ubiquitous as the air we breathe".
In March 2007, Boingo acquired Concourse Communications Group, which extended Boingo's services into Wi-Fi and cellular DAS networks at airports.
On November 10, 2008, Boingo acquired Opti-Fi Networks’ Wi-Fi holdings, adding another 25 airport Wi-Fi networks to its portfolio of managed locations and bringing its total of airport Wi-Fi networks to 55.
On May 4, 2011, Boingo Wireless went public, giving the company a market cap of approximately $439 million. The stock price dropped soon afterward, and Boingo's IPO was initially viewed as "less than auspicious", but the stock recovered a year later to its IPO price.
On August 8, 2012, the company acquired Cloud Nine Media, thereby adding advertising services for sponsored Wi-Fi.
On February 21, 2013, the company acquired Endeka Group, a provider of Wi-Fi and IPTV services to military bases and federal law enforcement training facilities.
In November 2013, Boingo announced contracts with the US Air Force, US Army, and US Marines Corps to install IPTV and broadband access networks on their posts.
In September 2013, Boingo announced the acquisition of its largest competitor, Advanced Wireless Group. At the time of the announcement, AWG operated networks at 17 US airports, including Logan Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and Miami International Airport. Boingo announced that the combined entity would operate in 60 percent of North America’s top 50 airports and more than 40 percent of the world’s top 50 airports, reaching more than 1.4 billion passengers annually.
In February 2014, Boingo launched Passpoint Secure hotspot service at 24 US airports, including LAX, Chicago's O'Hare, and New York's JFK and LaGuardia airports. In June 2014, the company partnered with American Express to offer its Platinum card holders free wireless access.
In April 2015, Boingo struck a deal with wireless carrier Sprint Corporation to offload the carrier's customer traffic onto Boingo's Wi-Fi networks at 35 US airports. The deal was reportedly struck to improve Sprint's network performance.
As of November 2017, Boingo's market capitalization stood at $1.02 billion.
In July 2018, Boingo deployed a private LTE network using the shared 3.5 GHz Citizen's Broadband Radio Service at Dallas' Love Field Airport. In August, the company acquired Charleston, South Carolina-based multifamily and student housing Wi-Fi provider Eluawit Networks. In November, Boingo announced that it had been selected by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York to build and maintain wireless services for the Long Island Rail Road Atlantic Branch and Grand Central Terminal's upcoming East Side Access facility. The two DAS facility deals were reportedly the largest in the company's history.
In February 2019, Boingo expanded a Wi-Fi roaming agreement with AT&T. The deal was designed to offer AT&T subscribers a seamless and complimentary Wi-Fi connection on Boingo's Passpoint-certified networks. In March, CEO David Hagan retired and was replaced by Mike Finley, a former Qualcomm executive. In August, wireless carrier Verizon announced it was partnering with Boingo to bring the carrier's 5G service to indoor public spaces such as stadiums, airports and hotels. In December, the company announced it had realigned its business to focus on higher growth opportunities it was seeing with DAS, carrier offload, military and multi-family housing.

Products and services

Boingo acquires long-term wireless rights in large venues like airports, military bases, stadiums, multifamily communities and universities; builds DAS, Wi-Fi, and small cell networks to serve those areas; and monetizes those networks through advertising, carrier fees, or user charges. Its business is divided into higher growth core and legacy business lines and includes the following: