Boingo Wireless
 | |
| Public | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: WIFI |
| Industry | Computer software, IT services |
| Founded | Los Angeles, CA (2001) |
| Founder | Sky Dayton |
| Headquarters |
10960 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA |
Key people |
Sky Dayton, Founder; David Hagan, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board |
| Products | Software technology and roaming services for wireless networks |
| Revenue | |
| Website | Boingo.com |
Boingo Wireless is an American company that provides mobile Internet access for wireless-enabled consumer devices. The company reports having over one million small cell networks for cellular extension services (aka distributed antenna system (DAS)) and Wi-Fi access that reach more than one billion consumers annually.[3] 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.[4] He says he saw how Wi-Fi "could help make the Internet as ubiquitous as the air we breathe".[5]
In March 2007, Boingo acquired Concourse Communications Group,[6] which extended Boingo's services into Wi-Fi and cellular DAS networks at airports.[6][7]
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.[8]
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",[9] but the stock recovered a year later to its IPO price.[10]
On August 8, 2012, the company acquired Cloud Nine Media, thereby adding advertising services for sponsored Wi-Fi.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
In September 2013, Boingo announced the acquisition of its largest competitor, Advanced Wireless Group (AWG).[14] At the time of the announcement, AWG operated networks at 17 US airports, including Logan Airport (BOS), Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Los Angeles International (LAX), and Miami International Airport(MIA). 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.[15]
As of September 2016, Boingo's market cap stood at $367.6 million.[1]
Products and services
Boingo acquires wireless rights in public and private locations such as airports, military bases, stadiums, and universities; builds DAS, small cell, and Wi-Fi networks to serve those areas; and monetizes those networks through advertising, carrier fees, or user charges.[16]
Advertising
Boingo sells advertising on its Wi-Fi platform, through landing page access and display advertising. Advertisers sponsor free Wi-Fi access in exchange for consumers' viewing advertisements such as offers and video placements.[17]
Retail services
- Boingo Broadband - Boingo installs wireless infrastructure to provide residential broadband and IPTV services for troops stationed on US military bases. Initial deployments included all Marine Corps bases within the United States as well as two bases in Japan, the first international bases to offer Boingo Broadband services.[18]
- Boingo Wi-Fi - Boingo sells Wi-Fi access to end users at a network of managed and operated Wi-Fi hotspots and third party locations around the world. Payment plans include a selection of month-to-month subscription and single-use access plans. To support its retail model, the company produces a database of available Wi-Fi locations for customers, available on the website and as a downloadable app called Boingo Wi-Finder, for Android and iOS devices, Macs, and PCs.
Wholesale services
Boingo's integrated hardware and software platform provides a range of Wi-Fi related services to telecom operators, network operators, device manufacturers, technology companies, enterprise software and services companies, and venue operators, through its wholesale services, which include:
- Distributed antenna system (DAS) - Boingo sells telecommunications companies access to a network of distributed Wi-Fi antennas at managed hotspot locations. The system is deployed within airports and other locations that require additional signal strength to improve the quality of cellular services.[19]
- Platform services - Boingo licenses their proprietary software and provides software integration and development services to customers, allowing them to sell their own Wi-Fi services.
- Roaming services - Boingo sells roaming services across a network of over 800,000 hotspot locations to business partners, who use this service to provide mobile Internet services to their customers. The company is integrating Hotspot 2.0 technology, allowing users to automatically connect when within range of free Wi-Fi service.[20] Through a roaming deal with Time Warner Cable announced in June 2014 and launched that December, this technology allows newer smartphones with Wi-Fi Alliance-certified Passpoint clients to move between and automatically connect to networks operated by both companies.[21]
- Turn-key solutions - Boingo sells turn-key Wi-Fi solutions to venue operators, including installation, management, and operation.
Awards and recognition
Boingo has earned multiple honorable recognitions, including:
- 2012: About.com Readers Award – Best iPhone/iPad Travel App: Boingo Wi-Finder[22]
- 2013: Global Traveler's Award – Best Wi-Fi Service [23]
References
- 1 2 "Boingo Wireless Inc". yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
- ↑ "Boingo Wireless Inc Form 10-K". United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
- ↑ "WIFI Boingo Wireless Inc Quarterly Report". morningstar.com. 2014-09-30. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
- ↑ "Day 2 at 802.11 Planet Conference - Wi-Fi Networking News". Wifinetnews.com. 2002-12-04. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ "Sky Dayton, founder of Boingo Wireless - Where are they now?". FierceWireless.om. 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
- 1 2 Ron (2006-05-22). "Boingo Wireless Acquires Airport Cellular, Wi-Fi Operator Concourse Communications - Wi-Fi Networking News". Wifinetnews.com. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ Fri, 03/02/2007 - 6:19pm. "Boingo Completes Concourse Buy". Wirelessweek.com. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ "Boingo Acquires Opti-Fi To Boost Airport Wi-Fi". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ "Boingo Wireless IPO Finds Lukewarm Reception On Day One". Forbes. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ "Gogo Files For $165 Million IPO". Benzinga.com. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2014-04-25.
- ↑ "MediaPost Publications Boingo Buys Wi-Fi Startup Cloud Nine Media 08/08/2012". Mediapost.com. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ "Boingo Wireless (WIFI) to Acquire Endeka". Streetinsider.com. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- ↑ "Boingo supports the troops with IPTV, winning contracts to connect U.S. military bases". gigaom.com. 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
- ↑ "Boingo Wireless Acquires Advanced Wireless Group". CommercialObserver.com. 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
- ↑ "Boingo Acquires AWG, Combining Airport Industry's 2 Largest Wi-Fi Providers". AirportRevenueNews.com. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
- ↑ "Boingo Wireless: Leading the Small Cell Revolution" (PDF). shareholder.com. 2014-12-01. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
- ↑ "Boingo's Cloud Nine deal shows how public Wi-Fi is changing". FierceWireless.com. 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
- ↑ "Boingo serves up broadband for U.S. military". FierceWireless.om. 2014-10-26. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
- ↑ "Stadium Tech Report: Boingo, AT&T answer call for more DAS bandwidth at Chicago's Soldier Field". MobileSportsReport.com. 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
- ↑ "Wi-Fi roaming starts to take flight with Hotspot 2.0". PCWorld.com. 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
- ↑ "Time Warner Cable, Boingo turn on Hotspot 2.0". GigaOM.com. 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
- ↑ "Readers Choice Awards - 2012". About.com. 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
- ↑ "Global Traveler announces the cream of the crop of 2013". GlobalTravelerUSA.com. 2013-12-01. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
Further reading
- "Snowden leaks: Canada 'spied on airport travellers'". BBC. January 31, 2014.
- Weston, Greg & Greenwald, Glenn & Gallagher, Ryan (January 30, 2014). "CSEC used airport Wi-Fi to track Canadian travelers: Edward Snowden documents electronic snooping was part of a trial run for U.S. NSA and other foreign services". CBC News.