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R E V I E W

Common Goals, Unique Strengths

May 15, 2003
By Peter Rysavy

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Boingo Wireless

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	In this article
	Introduction
	Boingo Wireless
	Other Products Reviewed
	Scenario
	Responses to RFIs
	Report Card

Boingo distinguishes itself as the leading aggregator because it focuses exclusively on wireless broadband. In contrast, the other two aggregators responding to our RFI, Gric and iPass, focus on both wireless broadband and global dial-up services. However, Boingo does have a business relationship with Fiberlink Communications, which resells Boingo's service in combination with dial-up. Boingo is also unique in offering very rich client software that includes network sniffing, authentication and security functions.

Boingo's coverage is impressive: It provides service in 2,000 locations across 428 cities, 32 airports, 794 restaurants, 430 hotels, and it recently added service at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Pricing plans recognize the varying needs of users. Unlimited access costs $49.95 per month. For those not constantly on the go, the Boingo Pro plan for $24.95 per month includes 10 24-hour connect days, plus $4.95 for each additional connect day. Infrequent users can sign up for a "Boingo As-You-Go" plan that has an initial charge of $7.95 for two connect days and $7.95 for each additional connect day. For larger customers, such as our RFI target MSE, Boingo offers a convenient bucket of connect days shared among users.

One would expect an impressive list of roaming partners from an aggregator, and Boingo does not disappoint. It has 17 disclosed partners and shared with us a sizable list of as-yet-unannounced collaborators.

The company's current access emphasizes the 802.11b standard. Going forward, Boingo says it will support the access technologies of its partner networks. For security, Boingo says it intends to support WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access; see an overview) and eventually 802.11i, and later this year it will integrate 2.5G/3G cellular data based on GPRS and CDMA.

Providers at a Glance

click to enlarge

Boingo authenticates users through a Web page (requiring user ID, password) or its client software. This is a particularly comprehensive client that, in addition to authentication, provides signal sniffing, location directory, profile management (for example, private network access versus public network access) and a personal VPN. The VPN creates an encrypted tunnel from the customer's machine to the Boingo data center to guard against eavesdropping. While most enterprise customers will prefer to use their own VPNs, this is a clever solution for smaller business customers and individual users that overcomes some of the security issues of using public wireless networks. Boingo was the only operator to provide this VPN capability with its client utility.

Boingo has raised $19.75 million in venture funding and has a year and a half of cash on hand. The company is a worthy contender in this market, and winner of our RFI process because of its impressive number of roaming partners, comprehensive client utility and competitive pricing. Future cellular support may also prove beneficial to customers.

Boingo Wireless, (310) 586-5180, (800) 826-4646. www.boingo.com