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Newark, N.J. • Free Wi-Fi is coming to the New York City metro area's major airports.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday approved a plan to offer free access at Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports, to a point: Wi-Fi would be free for 30 minutes, then travelers would have to pay $7.95 for the day.
The Port Authority, which operates the region's bridges, tunnels and transit hubs and owns the World Trade Center site, said the free Wi-Fi service could be available as early as this fall. The service also will be available at Stewart International Airport, north of New York City.
It currently costs travelers $4.95 an hour or $7.95 for 24 hours to access the Internet at the airports, which are among the nation's busiest.
The Port Authority said the free Wi-Fi, a result of revisions to its contract with New York Telecom Partners LLC, a subsidiary of Boingo Wireless Inc., meets "a top desire of travelers" at the region's airports.
"Customer feedback has consistently expressed a desire for free Wi-Fi access at the agency's airports," it said in a statement.
Under the modified contract, Boingo will upgrade the wireless technology at the airports, with the free Wi-Fi arriving when those improvements are completed, the Port Authority said. The improvements will mean faster Internet speed and better signal connections in the airports' terminals, it said.
The airport advocacy group Global Gateway Alliance said the plan is similar to many used at airports around the country, though some airports do offer unlimited Wi-Fi.