Many Caribbean airports have paid Wi-Fi access for travellers, which might allow them to win a battle, but lose the war.


Increasingly, Caribbean countries have been expressing intentions to offer free Wi-Fi. Those initiatives tend to range from having free access in public spaces in major towns and cities, to 100% country-wide coverage. However, in Antigua and Barbuda, the VC Bird International Airport may be taking a step backward.

In the local newspapers last week, the Minister responsible for Civil Aviation, Robin Yearwood, re-floated a proposal to change the conditions on which the airport offers Wi-Fi service. Unlike currently where free Wi-Fi is offered, there is now the intention to permit free access to the service for 30 minutes, and thereafter, passengers would be required to pay. The Minister was quick to point out that the proposal is not inconsistent with what obtains in other Caribbean countries:

You get a half an hour free and then afterwards you pay. In some airports that I travel to, right here in the Caribbean you have to pay; you have to start by putting in your credit card information.

(Source:  The Daily Observer)

Although the situation in Antigua and Barbuda was the impetus for this article, many Caribbean countries are guilty of not offering free public Wi-Fi, especially in areas such as airports and government offices, and in some instances, are charging fees for such access. Below are some considerations with respect to having free Internet access at airports in the region.

  1. Connectivity has become the norm. In this day and age, people expect to be connected to the Internet. In an airport setting in particular, which is catering not only for residents and Caribbean nationals, who might have limited expectations of having online access, but also international visitors, offering free Internet access can improve their overall travelling experience, especially as they wait for their flights.
  2.  A welcomed distraction during long waits. Depending on the airline, flight delays in the region can be the norm, rather than the exception. In that regard, options to help passengers while away the time could be a welcomed distraction, and make them less likely to complain about the unending delays that can be so common in the region.
  3.  Passengers already pay departure taxes. Virtually all Caribbean countries charge air travel passengers a departure tax, which ranges between USD 10.00 and USD 20.00, which passengers either pay at the airport prior to flight, or it is included in the cost of their airline tickets. This tax tends either to be seen as revenue for the local airport authority to offset its operating expenses, or as revenue for the Consolidate Funds/government purse, and is in addition to a number of others that are paid when purchasing the airline ticket. In some instances, the taxes exceed the airfare payable, which can be a disincentive for people to travel. Hence, it can be argued that a small portion of the departure tax paid per passenger (for example) can be applied towards the cost of Internet access thereby improving the airport experience, resulting in a win-win situation..
  4.  Controls are needed. Although the above points are all in support of airports providing free Internet access to travellers, it must be emphasised that people can abuse the Internet access provided Hence controls ought to be established with respect to the downloading of certain content, such as inappropriate images, pirated software, music, etc. Further, and in order to manage traffic congestion issues on the network, it would also be important to block known torrent sites, to prevent downloads from eating up the whatever bandwidth provided and congesting the network.

In summary, the introduction of paid Internet access at Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport is a contentious issue, which is why although the position was announced last year December, it has yet to come to fruition. However, for Antigua and all other Caribbean countries that rely considerably on tourism, it is important to continue to be an attractive location for travellers, especially as the industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and seemingly marginal benefits can yield huge returns in the long run.

 

Image credit:  Stuart Miles (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

__________________