Free Internet at the Airport

[thalaw2]

I have traveled to many airports around the world and most of them had free Internet access.  So, I assumed it would be the same at LAX...after all it's in the U.S.--land of the free and all that.  But oh no!  They had some terrible setup by T-Mobile that required an online purchase of minutes on their wireless network.  Why is that?  The library was free and coffee shops were free...so why would the airport charge?  I mean it's more likely that someone will have an urgent need to use the internet. 

Internet access was free in Beijing, but it wasn't working when I arrived for a 4am layover. 

Anyway...I need to find a new place to rant...too bad I cant get facebook anymore.

[AfghanAnt]

Isn't internet free in a lot of Asian countries?

Also EVERY major airport in America charges for internet.

[vamp]

I have traveled to many airports around the world and most of them had free Internet access.  So, I assumed it would be the same at LAX...after all it's in the U.S.--land of the free and all that.  But oh no!  They had some terrible setup by T-Mobile that required an online purchase of minutes on their wireless network.  Why is that?  The library was free and coffee shops were free...so why would the airport charge?  I mean it's more likely that someone will have an urgent need to use the internet.  

Internet access was free in Beijing, but it wasn't working when I arrived for a 4am layover.  

Anyway...I need to find a new place to rant...too bad I cant get facebook anymore.

That is the exact reason why they do it. Its called capitalism  

[thalaw2]

Isn't internet free in a lot of Asian countries?

No.  But it certainly is cheap!  I get it free since I live in a hotel/apartment, but the people around me who pay are payin about $10 a month.  I couldn't believe my mom was payin nearly $40 a month for internet alone!  There are like only 2 or 3 internet providers in China and prices are low whereas in the U.S. there are like a million but really just 5 and they are chargin' folks through the ceiling. 

I mean it's more likely that someone will have an urgent need to use the internet. 

That is the exact reason why they do it. Its called capitalism 

Err...right.  I want to respond to that in a way that keeps with the forum rules--I have seen a lot more capitalism here than I have over there.  And I was shocked to discover there is a great firewall of the U.S. too.  Anywayz it's all about cultural philosophies bein' different and bein' different iz wut makez the world go round and round and round and round and round and round and....I think I'm gonna be sick. 

[AfghanAnt]

Isn't internet free in a lot of Asian countries?

No.  But it certainly is cheap!  I get it free since I live in a hotel/apartment, but the people around me who pay are payin about $10 a month.  I couldn't believe my mom was payin nearly $40 a month for internet alone!  There are like only 2 or 3 internet providers in China and prices are low whereas in the U.S. there are like a million but really just 5 and they are chargin' folks through the ceiling. 

I mean it's more likely that someone will have an urgent need to use the internet. 

That is the exact reason why they do it. Its called capitalism 

Err...right.  I want to respond to that in a way that keeps with the forum rules--I have seen a lot more capitalism here than I have over there.  And I was shocked to discover there is a great firewall of the U.S. too.  Anywayz it's all about cultural philosophies bein' different and bein' different iz wut makez the world go round and round and round and round and round and round and....I think I'm gonna be sick. 

Only 40! I pay about 60 just for my internet.

[stumpy]

Where I am at, AT&T sells basic 768 Kbps DSL for $20/month and they have a $10/month for the first year deal for new subscribers who also have AT&T phone service. Seems fairly reasonable to me, considering that was basically the price of 57 Kbps dial-up five or ten years ago.

BTW, internet isn't really free anywhere, it's just an issue of who pays and where the bill shows up.

[thalaw2]

You're right.  Free is a very relative term.  I should have said something like Internet access that I can get without ever seeing a bill explicitly for it or noticing any loss of monies to me.   

Why is it that there is this sort of "free" access at public libraries and universities but not at the airport?  Heaven forbid that I'm in an airport and my 13hr. flight is delayed a few hours and I want to tell people who will be meeting me on the other end to come a few hours later, but i don't want to call them in the middle of the night.  Why should i have to pay $7 for a day pass just to send an email that will not even take all of 10 minutes.  And it was sooooo convenient that those cramped little Internet stations for .25 cents a minute didn't work.  After losing a dollar on that thing I went to the nearest airport bar and had a few drinks (those worked)...almost missed my flight. 

Where I am at, AT&T sells basic 768 Kbps DSL for $20/month and they have a $10/month for the first year deal for new subscribers who also have AT&T phone service. Seems fairly reasonable to me, considering that was basically the price of 57 Kbps dial-up five or ten years ago.

Which AT&T do you go with?  I helped my mom switch from AT&T worldnet to AT&T (funny that these are two different companies what share the same name and logo) and the cost is about $35 a month for 1.5kbps DSL and it was $30 for 768kbps.  In the few days it took for the services to switch I just walked to the library with my laptop and used the internet for "free"...heck once the library wasn't even open so I just sat on the steps outside and surfed away.