The Air Force has rolled out free, high-speed internet for airmen living in on-base dormitories at 28 installations, a wireless network company announced Thursday.
“Reliable Wi-Fi is now essential for airmen,” said Rebecca Gray, senior vice president and general manager, military at Boingo Wireless, in a news release. “By making high-speed Wi‑Fi available at no cost in dormitories, Air Force leaders are enhancing quality of life, readiness and resilience of their Airmen.”
The service, provided by Boingo through an Army & Air Force Exchange Service contract, is currently available at locations including the Air Force Academy and Air Education and Training Command bases, with additional sites planned.
“Staying connected to family and friends makes a difference in airmen’s daily lives and helps them stay mission ready,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Angela Holden, the Exchange’s senior enlisted adviser, in the release. “This initiative is one more way the Exchange supports quality of life for airmen while helping them feel more at home in their dorms.”
The rollout comes as the military services work to comply with the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual law that lays out Pentagon priorities, which mandated free internet access in unaccompanied housing for junior enlisted troops.
The Marine Corps announced earlier this month it has extended the service to all eligible barracks across the U.S. and Japan, and the Navy has brought free Wi-Fi to 90% of its installations worldwide. The Army is still in the early stages of providing free Wi-Fi for soldiers, with access currently limited to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and Fort Riley, Kan.
Boingo provides Wi-Fi in more than 2,100 barracks and dormitories across more than 100 Army, Air Force and Marine Corps installations worldwide.
Stars and Stripes reporter Rose L. Thayer contributed to this report.