marchapril2021 - 25

COVER STORY
disseminating news and updates quickly,
effectively and to the masses. This can
be done by incorporating digital signage
to share updates surrounding pandemic
procedural changes in the airport or
even surrounding the various locations
for which travelers are in route.
" Anything static in digital signage
will most certainly be swapped out to be
a more engaging and adaptable form of
digital signage, " he said. " Interactivity is
still reigning supreme as far as capturing
consumer attention, so displays will need
to use higher forms of technology, like
AI, to meet the level of sophistication
that consumers, as well as business
owners, are expecting. "
Meiner said touchless digital
signage will take off in the near future.
Kiosks will be able to scan passengers'
boarding passes or phone applications
to guide them in the direction of their
gate, send updates on delays or how
much time they have left until their
flight starts to board, and, in the same
vein, offer insight into restaurants and
food recommendations near departure
locations.
Airports should be looking towards
multifunctional digital signage solutions,
such as an Occupancy Kiosk. It not only
monitors the safe distance of people in
an area, but can also display important
information about flights status, current
temperature conditions, marketing for
airport restaurants and more. Investing
in technology that has more than one
purpose will extend the investment even
further than a simple display screen.
" Airports will need to consider
that many passengers may not feel
comfortable with touchscreens as public
health continues to remain priority, " he
said. " Finding ways for scanning phones,
boarding passes, and utilizing AI for
optimized f light experience, whether
that be to help with cancelled f lights,
new boarding times and more. "

A Strong Connection to
New Initiatives
Boingo Wireless shifted its priorities
when the COVID-19 pandemic began
to help airports focus on and ensure
the health and safety of passengers and
staff. Danielle Aiello, vice president of
account management at Boingo, said the
future of airport travel will rely on better

wireless solutions to support a touchless,
personalized passenger experience.
" A recent passenger satisfaction
survey from ACI found that travelers
are less concerned with contracting
the virus at their actual destination,
but they were asked, 'as of today, where
would you be most afraid of contracting
COVID-19 during your journey?' Their
biggest concern is the high traffic
areas of the airport - so the security
checkpoints, the commercial areas and
the airplane itself, " Aiello said.
Technology plays a key role in the
recovery of the aviation sector to power
the contactless passenger experience,
Aiello noted. Boingo's networks support
the airport's new health and wellness
measures like contactless entry and
concessions to help keep passengers safe.
" A few examples would be at
O'Hare, for example. Boingo's secure
wireless network supports the airport's
proprietary biometric system to process
touchless passenger boarding, " Aiello
said. " At Dallas Love Field, our network
is powering kiosks that take temperature
of staff before they return to work. "
Boingo also partners with Phoenix
Sky Harbor International Airport
(PHX), John F. Kennedy International
Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX) and others. Airports
use Boingo's Wi-Fi connection portal
to communicate PSAs reminding
passengers of specific health and safety
protocols. This technology also directs
passengers to the airport's website where
they can find all the information they
need during their journey.
Aiello said precheck kiosks at LAX
are powered by Boingo's network.
These kiosks - provided by Clear
- use biometrics to conf irm their
identity instead of using traditional
ID documents, allowing for a more
touchless passenger experience.
" Connectivity has never been more
important so implementing the right
wireless technology is crucial for futureproofing airports. This means creating
a smart airport - one that utilizes
technology to streamline operations
while also creating a safe, fluid touchless
experience for passengers throughout
their entire journey, " Aiello said.
A major part of Boingo's future goals
for improving the passenger experience

revolve around mobile edge computing,
which allows for faster internet speeds.
" We're always working on new
technologies. Mobile edge computing
(MEC) enables airports to manage
networks with even more control,
reliability, security and speed. The
hybrid offering combines Boingo's
on-premise infrastructure with cloud
technology to enable use cases that
demand real-time data processing
including video streaming and analytics,
security operations, robotics, predictive
maintenance and more - so that basically
means that our networks run faster. "

Boingo is working to expand
its mmWave 5G capabilities to offer
passengers faster, more reliable and more
secure connectivity. These networks
have high-frequency signals that travel
in narrow wavelengths to deliver
increased capacity and ultra-fast speeds
for applications like HD video streaming
and gaming, according to Aiello.
" It's not hard to believe that Wi-Fi
is the number one requested amenity
among travelers, " Aiello said. " So
additionally we continue to build out
the next generation of wireless networks
at airports around the world. Private
networks over CBRS is an exciting
opportunity for airports and what's
great about these networks is that they're
custom-designed to deliver improved
network efficiency, new data insights,
decreased costs, enhanced capacity,
improved security and all of that lends
to improving the passenger experience.
" Our CBRS footprint continues
to expand and for passengers that
means faster, more secure and seamless
connectivity for their devices and
new experiences like personalized
wayfinding and smart luggage tracking.
These use cases are really just the
beginning. Just as 4G sparked new
innovations like ride-share services and
Netflix for streaming, 5G will lead to
new inventions and opportunities. " 

MARCH/APRIL 2021 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 25
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