For the millions of travellers passing through Changi Airport yearly, staying connected online throughout their journeys has become increasingly important in this digital age. Whether it is used to stay in touch with loved ones overseas, or to catch the latest videos while waiting for their connecting flight, a strong and seamless WiFi network has become an important part of every modern airport’s operations. 

“The Changi team looking after the airport WiFi works closely with our colleagues from ground operations and customer service to continuously gather feedback from our passengers. This has helped us to understand their needs better when it comes to staying connected at the airport, which in turn enables us to improve their user experience,” shared Mr Neo Chee Beng, Senior Manager, Airport Operations Technology and Corporate IT at Changi Airport Group. 

To ensure that everything continues to run smoothly all day, every day, efforts have been concentrated into three key areas identified by Chee Beng’s team as the foundation to providing a good WiFi service.

Fast Connectivity

These days, most of us take fast internet connections as a given, with most homes being fitted with fibre optic Internet and our phones running on 4G mobile data. However, with over 2.3 million devices connecting to the airport’s WiFi network every month, or about 5,000 devices connected at any one time, this creates a huge demand on the network in Changi. 

To ensure that Changi’s WiFi network is able to deliver a consistent, high-speed Internet experience to all passengers, Chee Beng and his team need to carefully plan and anticipate the needs of users. By designing a robust system that can accommodate these demands and through the allocation of sufficient bandwidth for each connected device, every user can enjoy a consistent experience throughout their time at the airport, be it streaming 4K videos on demand, or simply to enjoy their favourite online games.

Seamless Transitions

A typical WiFi network usually covers a limited range. Given that Changi Airport spans four terminals, additional measures had to be put in place to ensure that travellers are able to maintain a consistent level of connectivity, regardless of the part of the building that they are in.

To this end, Changi has worked on refreshing its network over the past few years and have progressively upgraded the WiFi system across all of its terminals. This has allowed the network’s Internet access points to handle a higher data throughput, which translates to a smoother browsing experience even with many devices connected. This move has helped Changi keep up with the increased demand in recent years, particularly as passenger traffic continues to grow. 

Beyond this, coverage has also been extended to more areas beyond the high passenger traffic spaces and thoroughfares. This includes tenanted spaces in both the public and transit areas, facilitating a smoother retail experience for travellers making their final purchases before their flight. 

WiFi connectivity remains seamless across tenanted and retail spaces, allowing travellers to tap on any in-app perks while shopping

Ease of Connection

While many airports may have a public WiFi network available for travellers to tap on, the actual process of getting online is not always that straightforward. From requiring one's personal details to imposing a time limit on free connectivity, there can be various conditions in place that are not transparent to users at first glance.

Always striving to achieve a seamless travel experience, travellers at Changi can access unlimited hours of complimentary WiFi service with ease. They simply need to turn on the WiFi for their device before the intuitive login page seen below directs them to ‘Connect Now’, where seamless Internet connectivity is just a tap away. 

By simply clicking on the “Connect Now” button, travellers at Changi will be able to access unlimited hours of complimentary WiFi.

"The recent rollouts and upgrades to our WiFi network have been aimed at providing travellers with a smoother and more consistent browsing experience, even as the number of network users continues to increase,” said Chee Beng. “With careful forward planning and a strong foundation, this will allow us to maintain the stability of our network for years to come.”

So, the next time you travel through Changi and are wondering what else to do after enjoying the numerous retail experiences and free facilities that the airport has to offer, why not head over to your boarding gate, grab a seat, and watch a video or two? All you need to do is click and connect.