Air Force launches free Wi-Fi in its dorms

Airmen living in dormitories at more than two dozen sites now have access to free wireless Internet, as the Air Force works to expand Wi-Fi across its barracks.

Boingo Wireless, an Internet provider, announced last week that it was providing the service to airmen living in on-base dormitories. The program has launched at 28 initial sites, such as the Air Force Academy and multiple buildings at the Air Education and Training Command, which is headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio.

The service is provided through a contract with the Army and Air Force Exchange. According to the company, it is working to add free Wi-Fi to additional sites.

“Staying connected to family and friends makes a difference in Airmen’s daily lives and helps them stay mission ready,” Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Angela Holden, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor, said in the announcement from Boingo.

Rebecca Gray, senior vice president and general manager, military at Boingo Wireless, called “reliable” Wi-Fi “essential” for airmen, and said that the rollout is meant to improve both quality of life and readiness for the troops.

The free wireless Internet follows a Congressional mandate included in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. That version of the annual defense bill directed the military to provide free Internet services for junior enlisted troops in all unaccompanied housing facilities.

Providing free Internet for the military has been an ongoing project in recent years, as part of wider efforts to improve the quality of life for active duty troops and help with retaining personnel. The 2025 NDAA specified that the free Internet offered in the barracks must ““[meet]  or [exceed] any speed benchmark established for broadband internet access service by the Federal Communications Commission.” 

The Air Force is the latest service to start providing free wireless Internet to troops. The Marine Corps says it has already provided free Wi-Fi for junior enlisted troops at all of its barracks. At the start of October, the Navy said that it was 90% of the way done with providing free Wi-Fi to all of its unaccompanied housing sites since starting on the project in November 2025. The Army had previously said this fall that it is providing free wireless to soldiers at a few bases as part of pilot programs.