Finally, there's free wi-fi at LAX. Sort of.

Forget for a second that the LAX is one of the nation's crappier major airports, cursed by midcentury architecture and an array of politically-connected restaurant offerings that make you actually want eat the airplane food.

This is, as the original President Bush would say, a point of light:

LAX World Airports (LAWA) today announced that free wi-fi is available … for 45 minutes. If you want more, you have to pay: $4.95 an hour or $7.95 for a whole day. But that includes “premium bandwidth,” according to the office of city Councilman Bill Rosendahl.

Sounds steep, but you don't want your airport turning into Starbucks, do you?

LAWA claims that the move makes LAX the “largest in the U.S. to offer free wi-fi service.” Take that, Denver.

Westside L.A. Councilman Rosendahl took some credit for the development, noting that he leaned on tech contractor Advance Wireless Group to make it happen or, ostensibly, face his wrath come contract-renewal time.

It appeared to work.

LAWA states that the deal with still bring cash to the city-run airport:

Credit: LAX / Facebook

Credit: LAX / Facebook

The $663,333 two-year concessions agreement between Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and AWG, calls for AWG to upgrade, operate, and maintain the public wireless Internet system at the airport for minimum annual guaranteed revenues to LAWA of $283,333 in the first year, $380,000 in the second year, and $420,000 in the third option year, if exercised.

So, world travelers, enjoy your online porn as you wait for your flights at LAX. And remember, most of that stuff was proudly made in L.A., too.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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