Proliferation of smartphones make ferry Wi-Fi service moot

Published 9:14 pm Monday, June 13, 2016

At the end of the month, ferry riders will no longer be able to connect to the Boingo Wi-Fi service offered aboard Washington State Ferries vessels.

Many of you are currently asking, “And I care because…?”

Exactly.

Cellular coverage has vastly expanded since the contract service started in 2008, allowing riders to pay a fee to connect to Wi-Fi while cruising the greater Puget Sound.

Few riders these days pay up — 98 percent of ferry customers have never accessed the service, according to Ian Sterling, a spokesman for Washington State Ferries.

“Despite the service ending, we have had very little feedback from customers. I suspect that’s because most people these days access data through their personal devices and plans,” Sterling said.

That’s true for Briana Pavey, a regular on the Kingston-Edmonds route, who said “heck no!” when I asked if she ever used the Wi-Fi service.

“Use your data plan until you hit the five-minute dead zone at the middle of the crossing, look out the window for five minutes, then continue using your data plan — which you already paid for,” Pavey said. “If I want to spend extra money on the ferry, it’s a beer.”

The state’s contract with Boingo ended in November, but service was extended through June. The Washington State Department of Transportation didn’t pay anything. Instead, Boingo paid a fee for the opportunity.

WSDOT is seeking a replacement, but so far has had no takers.

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