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Google offering free Wi-Fi at PTI airport

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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

(Updated 8:41 am)

Staff Reports

Google said today it will provide free Wi-Fi as a holiday gift now through Jan. 15 at 47 airports, including Piedmont Triad International Airport.

"We know that this is a very hectic travel season for people, and we hope that free Wi-Fi will make both traveling and connecting with friends and family a little bit easier," Marissa Mayer, vice president of search products and user experience at Google, stated in a news release.

Once travelers log on to networks in any of the participating airports, they can make a donation to Engineers Without Borders, the One Economy Corporation or the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Google will match the donations made across all the networks up to $250,000, and the airport network that generates the highest amount per passenger by Jan. 1 will receive $15,000 to donate to the local nonprofit of their choice.

More information about the networks, including a full list of participating airports, is available at www.freeholidaywifi.com.

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DonMoore

November 10, 2009 - 8:49 am EST

PTI should have been offering FREE WiFi as a courtesy. Many airports offer free WiFi and have the technology to prevent abuse from locals (folks who work in/around the airport - to ensure it is really for guests).

It's a small price to pay to be competitive.

weatherwithyou33

November 10, 2009 - 9:20 am EST

I agree and am sort of shocked that they don't already offer it. Although I guess it should be par for the course that PTI doesn't offer much to passengers. I thought it was a given that large facilities (airports, malls, hotel lobbys, etc) had free wifi now.

Illiterati

November 10, 2009 - 10:18 am EST

Add me to the chorus of the surprised. Considering how much effort is made to tout PTI as a growing airport, you'd think the powers that be would have noticed that free wifi is quite common in airports these days. It's such an easy amenity to offer that makes a big difference to travelers' airport experience.

wscbd

November 10, 2009 - 10:20 am EST

Yeah, free WiFi is nice. But think of how many major airports charge exorbitant fees for access to it (nearly every one that I've been through lately). It doesn't surprise me that PTI hasn't been offering free WiFi.

bettejayne

November 11, 2009 - 2:22 am EST

wscbd, Maybe u don't consider Charlotte one of the major airports, but while traveling on Oct 1, 2009, the free WiFi at CLT sure made my layover much easier.