Skip to main content

    Boingo acquires Cloud Nine Media for sponsored Wi-Fi hotspots

    Boingo acquires Cloud Nine Media for sponsored Wi-Fi hotspots

    /

    Boingo has acquired Cloud Nine Media, a company that offers ad-supported Wi-Fi hotspots.

    Share this story

    Wi-Fi logo (STOCK)
    Wi-Fi logo (STOCK)

    Boingo's Wi-Fi hotspots could soon feature a lot more ads. Today the company acquired start-up Cloud Nine Media, which offers users ad-supported access to more than 6,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across both the US and Canada, spanning hotels, restaurants, and airports. Cloud Nine has previously partnered with advertisers including Google, AOL, and Amazon, offering users free Wi-Fi in exchange for viewing a partner's advertisement.

    While Boingo charges for access to its hotspots with a $9.95 monthly fee, it's no stranger to the free, ad-supported model — just this summer it partnered with Google to offer a select few hotspots across New York City free of charge, though users were exposed to local Google Offers deals in exchange for the access. "This acquisition allows us to bring that capability in-house to better serve our growing need to deliver sponsored Wi-Fi," Boingo CEO David Hagan told AllThingsD.