By Stephanie Czaplicki, Senior Vice President of Account Management, Boingo Wireless
Twenty-five years ago, Wi-Fi in an airport terminal was a novelty. Today, Wi-Fi and cellular networks are essential infrastructure at airports of all sizes, supporting everything from biometric identity verification and digital boarding processes to real-time flight information and wayfinding. Passengers move through increasingly connected journeys without a second thought, but behind the scenes, airport networks power the systems that keep operations running. Staff credentialing, concessions, baggage handling, public safety communications and a fast-growing ecosystem of AI-powered applications all depend on secure, reliable connectivity.
When connectivity becomes foundational to airport operations, resilience matters just as much as coverage.
This summer’s FIFA World Cup provided a powerful demonstration of why that resilience matters. As 48 national teams and roughly 6.5 million fans moved through North American airports, U.S. carriers reported combined data volumes in the hundreds of terabytes across host-city stadiums and airports. GSMA Intelligence’s post-tournament analysis found that the most successful host cities approached connectivity not as a capacity challenge, but as infrastructure supporting critical services across the entire fan journey. From New York to Dallas to LA, airports managed surging passenger volumes and data demands without compromising critical services because their network infrastructure strategy was designed to accommodate growth, new technologies and periods of extraordinary demand.
Connectivity Planning Is Infrastructure Planning
That trend extends well beyond the World Cup. Airports raised IT spending to $14.8 billion in 2025, according to SITA’s Air Transport IT Insights report. Connectivity solutions have grown to match: Wi-Fi 7 for high-density passenger areas, private 5G for data-sensitive environments like the apron, and neutral-host Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) ensuring reliable 5G cellular coverage from every major carrier, with a robust cybersecurity platform. These networks are also what make AI possible. From computer vision at security checkpoints to predictive analytics for baggage handling, every AI application is only as good as the network carrying its data. Increasingly, airports are integrating all wireless technologies into a broader infrastructure strategy.
Deploying Wi‑Fi, DAS and private wireless networks in active airport environments requires coordination across carriers, construction projects, airport operations and cybersecurity requirements. As a result, airports increasingly seek partners that can oversee connectivity as a unified system from design and deployment through long-term operations.
Powering Connectivity Across Different Airport Environments
The connectivity challenge looks different at every airport, but the underlying principle remains the same.
At Newark, JFK and LaGuardia, connectivity upgrades are being integrated into large-scale terminal redevelopment programs as part of a broader, long-term infrastructure strategy. At Hollywood Burbank, connectivity planning is being incorporated into a brand-new terminal, including one of the nation’s first airport Wi-Fi 7 deployments. At Austin-Bergstrom, where passenger traffic has surpassed original terminal design assumptions, network capacity continues to evolve alongside airport growth.
Different starting points. Same priority: building connectivity into the foundation of airport modernization.
The Infrastructure Lesson from the World Cup
Twenty-five years after passenger Wi-Fi first arrived in airports, the World Cup put real-world scale behind a shift many airport leaders have been ahead of: wireless connectivity has become critical operational infrastructure.
As airports continue investing in terminal modernization, automation, AI, digital services and next-generation passenger experiences, the most successful projects will be those that plan connectivity from the outset. Wi-Fi, DAS, private wireless networks and cybersecurity can no longer be considered separate technology decisions. They are increasingly part of the same infrastructure conversation.
The airports best positioned for today’s demand and the future are those that treat connectivity as critical infrastructure.
About the Author
Stephanie Czaplicki is senior vice president of account management at Boingo Wireless, the largest provider of airport Wi-Fi worldwide, marking its 25th year connecting airports and transit hubs. Stephanie leads client success for more than 130 transit venues, including major airports such as JFK, LAX, ORD and DAL. With 15+ years of engineering and management experience, she helps airports design, deploy and manage wireless infrastructure.
DISCLAIMER
This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.