New Wi-Fi service lets RDU travelers soar

Over the years, RDU's public Wi-Fi service earned a bad reputation. People complained the service was too slow, airport spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said.

"What we found was there was more demand for it than we expected," Hamlin said.

RDU asked its provider, AT&T, to boost the bandwidth. After months of work at AT&T's expense, the new public Wi-Fi system was turned on in late March.

"They increased it by 15 times," Hamlin said. "We've tested the service. It's working very well for us now."

Mississippi businessman Al Barea made use of the Wi-Fi service while waiting for his flight in RDU's Terminal 2.

"We have to make the best use of our time, and I stay productive when I'm hooked into Wi-Fi," he said.

Barea said the Internet connection was what he would expect not too far from the Research Triangle Park.

"It's been very good. This is the first time I've used it, and so far, I've found it very responsive," he said. "I wasn't disappointed, I'll tell you that."

Wi-Fi access at RDU costs $8 for a day pass or $20 for a monthly account.

Hamlin said there are no plans to offer free Wi-Fi at this point.