Much to my amazement, when I looked for networks in councourse B, I found one called Qwest Business Center. And -- miracle of miracles -- I was able to log on!
...Just barely, that is. I had a very weak signal, barely enough to grab my e-mail, and then it petered out after 20 minutes or so. But it was there, and I was online, for free at the airport!
Once I realized how long my flight was delayed, I decided to find the source, to see if I could get a stronger signal by getting closer. I found the Qwest Business Center on the second floor of concourse B, Just above the food court. Here there are several library-style carrels, equipped with Ethernet jacks. One was empty so I sat down. I still couldn't access the wifi, but I was able to connect via Ethernet. (Good thing I always travel with my own Ethernet cable, theirs was busted.)
And yes, it's free -- at least for now. Be still, my geeky heart....
There's a sign in my carrel that says "For a limited time Qwest is offering its high-speed service at no charge."
A Qwest rep came around to check on users, so I asked her what the deal is with the wifi. She told me, "We only have one antenna from our router here right now, and understandably this service is popular, so right now when a lot of people are logged on it just doesn't work well. But we're bringing in additional routers soon so the coverage will be better."
She also explained that Qwest's DIA wifi will probably be free of charge "for a good 90 days or more." Although they haven't settled on a pricing model yet, it's likely that they will be selling hourly or daypass access -- a definite advantage over having to buy a month's worth of access for a place I only hang out in a few times a year!
She said, "We think this is really good branding for us." Indeed. Right now, with the
trial of former Qwest CEO
Joe Nacchio underway in Denver, Qwest can use all the goodwill it can get in this city!
(Oh, and here's the carless angle: I took the Supershuttle to DIA, since I
thought my flight was early and since my client is covering the cost. But normally if I'm paying my own way or if my flight is later, I walk over to the Table Mesa Park & Ride, which is free with my neighborhood Eco Pass.)