Boingo Wireless to Bring 5G Connectivity, Innovation to Las Vegas

By Don Bishop

March 24, 2022

Scenes of the Las Vegas Monorail and the Las Vegas Convention Center Monday, March 14, 2022. (Sam Morris, LVCVA Archive)

Cellular distributed antenna system provider Boingo Wireless said it would be enhancing the Las Vegas Monorail experience with mobile communications service and internet of things (IoT) connectivity. The company, which also provides Wi-Fi connectivity and private networks, said it would be collaborating with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which owns and operates the Las Vegas Monorail, to brand and operate a new wireless network at the Las Vegas Monorail Convention Center Station. Boingo said its network would allow passengers to connect with entertainment and productivity applications, including social media, streaming services, email, mobile boarding passes and digital conference badges, while at the station.

The electric-powered, 3.9-mile elevated Las Vegas Monorail reduces reduces nearly 2 million vehicle miles and reduces emissions by more than 24 tons, according to Boingo. The company said the system provides connections along the Las Vegas Strip, linking passengers to 25,000 hotel rooms and to restaurants, shopping, sports and entertainment options. With trains arriving every four to eight minutes, Boingo said, passengers can reach the LVCC from any part of the line within 10 minutes. With Wi-Fi coverage deployed by Boingo, the Convention Center Station will offer passengers access to digital applications such as touchless ticketing, mobile entry and cashless payment, the company said. Coverage is scheduled to go live later this year, Boingo said.

The 4.6 million square foot LVCC is one of the busiest convention centers in the country, pairing business with more than 150,000 hotel rooms and an experience that can only be found in Las Vegas, according to Boingo.

“The Las Vegas Monorail Convention Center Station will be home to the new Boingo Innovation Center, which will serve as a launch pad to test, trial, and demonstrate 5G, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 7 and IoT pilot programs, as well as use cases like instant sports betting at live events, AR/VR, smart utilities and security management with biometrics,” a statement from Boingo reads. “The center will be open to Boingo customers and the Las Vegas business community.”

Boingo CEO Mike Finley said that Las Vegas is home to a tech scene that offers a proving ground for pioneering what’s next, making it the ideal location for the new Boingo Innovation Center.

“The possibilities with 5G and Wi-Fi 6/6E are endless,” Finley said. “At Boingo, we make possibilities a reality, working with leading enterprises and commercial properties to create fully connected and secure environments that boost operational efficiencies and support the bottom line.”

The company said the Boingo Innovation Center is scheduled to open in the second half of 2022.

“Boingo Wireless simplifies complex wireless challenges to connect people, business and things,” the company statement reads. “We design, build and manage converged, neutral-host public and private networks at major venues around the world. Boingo’s vast footprint of distributed antenna systems,Wi-Fi, small cells and macro towers securely powers innovation and connectivity in airports, transit stations, stadiums, military bases, hospitals, commercial properties and enterprises worldwide.”

The company said that the Las Vegas Monorail links riders along the Las Vegas Strip with restaurants, shows, shops, day and nightclubs, spas, hotels and casinos.

Don Bishop is executive editor and associate publisher of AGL Magazine.