Commission approves 10‑year Boingo contract to upgrade Wi‑Fi and install DAS across campus

The Airport Advisory Commission approved a 10‑year revenue‑share contract with Boingo (item 8) to design, deploy and operate a neutral‑host distributed antenna system (DAS) and install a Wi‑Fi 7 upgrade throughout Austin‑Bergstrom International Airport’s campus.

Chris Pialak, senior IT manager for the aviation department, described the contract as a turnkey, vendor‑funded deployment that will act as a neutral host for Tier‑1 carriers and meet the airport’s performance, coverage and capacity requirements. Pialak said the arrangement aligns with ADP construction schedules so the vendor will cover upfront capital and the airport will receive ongoing revenue share rather than direct upfront expenditure.

Commissioners pressed staff on how a decade‑long term would protect travelers from technological obsolescence and whether service‑level agreements define expected speeds. Pialak said service‑level expectations and SLAs are written into the contract and that the revenue‑share structure incentivizes the vendor to maintain reliable coverage and keep technology current as part of protecting its revenue stream. Staff offered to provide specific metrics for expected speeds after the meeting.

A commissioner asked whether the contract includes the new terminal and Concourse M; staff said the 10‑year term is intended to span the ADP projects and potential additional construction so it will extend through planned terminal work. The motion passed unanimously; the transcript records unanimous approval but does not list individual vote counts.

Staff will finalize contract execution and provide SLA metrics to commissioners as requested.