Dear Answer Man, it bugs me that major airports like Minneapolis don't have free Wi-Fi — if there's a place where people need quick access to information on cellphones and laptops, for making reservations for rental cars or whatever it is, it's in airports. Does Rochester have free Wi-Fi for our visitors? — Rochelle
I completely agree, Rochelle. If airports are gateways to a community, isn't free Wi-Fi a relatively cheap way to welcome visitors? Admittedly, vast airport terminals like MSP, ORD and XYZ have a lot of ground to cover with Wi-Fi routers, but that's the cost of doing business. Considering how much money they get from parking fees, they can afford a penny or two to cover the cost of Wi-Fi.
In Rochester, the airport has had free Wi-Fi for a long time. Don't plan on downloading a Netflix movie or an iPod-full of music, but it's otherwise available and free.
At Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, by the way, they're about to offer free service. According to a report this week, MSP is choosing a wireless vendor next month and expects to have service up and running by year's end. It might be only 30 minutes of free service, and of course you'll have to watch an interminable ad for an advertiser you'll NEVER do business with as a result, but it's better than nothing.
