Enabled by Boingo, Broadcom, Cisco and Samsung, the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) OpenRoaming service is now available for four hours at a time to travellers, employees and retailers in terminal 3 when accessed using "best-of-breed Samsung Galaxy devices".
However, due to Wifi backward compatibility, the network can still be accessed from older generation Wifi devices.
Installed at South America’s busiest airport, the new service frees users from the nuisance of repeat registration and log-ins that public Wifi networks often require.
Instead of re-registering or re-entering log-in credentials, airport users will enjoy the convenience of instant network access matched with enterprise-grade security. When coupled with the Wifi 6 infrastructure, OpenRoaming also helps provide a carrier-grade Wifi experience.
The airport's network was designed and installed by Boingo and was itself the world’s first airport Wifi 6 network when it launched in October 2020.
Boingo CTO, Dr. Derek Peterson said: “GRU is the latest example of Boingo’s commitment to providing cutting edge technologies that enhance the traveler’s experience and enable airport operations staff to efficiently and effectively serve those travelers,” said Boingo CTO Dr. Derek Peterson. “Boingo was the first to deploy a Wi-Fi 6 airport network, and now we’re working within the WBA to raise the bar yet again with the world’s first OpenRoaming network at an airport.”
Based on 802.11ax and featuring channels up to 160 MHz wide, Wifi 6 can deliver speeds up to three times faster than 802.11 technologies. Designed for use in the 2.4, 5 and new 6 GHz bands, Wifi 6 also provides greater reliability, ultra-low latency and higher network efficiency in airports, stadiums and other environments with large numbers of simultaneously connected devices.
The network features a unified Wifi 6 infrastructure based on Cisco Catalyst access points, controllers, and switches. Samsung provided the airport's operations employees with "ruggedized handsets and other devices enabled with Broadcom’s W-Fi 6 chipset". This allows them to use Wifi 6 to maximise productivity and responsiveness to passengers whilst different OpenRoaming identities are used to separate automatic access for airport employees versus guests.
Airport CEO Gustavo Figueiredo said: “With Wifi 6, our passengers and operations employees now have reliable, seamless and secure connectivity to assure a better traveling experience.”
WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues, added: “This world-class, world-first airport OpenRoaming network at GRU showcases how the WBA membership collaborates to provide consumers and business users with reliable, blazingly fast connectivity.
“The GRU network also highlights the critical role that OpenRoaming plays in providing people with instant, ultra-secure access to Wi-Fi networks. That peace of mind is key for continuing to build and maintain confidence in public networks."
As South America’s busiest airport – at least pre-Covid – Guarulhos International Airport welcomed more than 2.45 million passengers in 2019.
