Eircom ties up airport

After a bit of stand-off in which the provision of wireless access in Dublin Airport was left in chaos, Eircom has sealed a deal to provide Wi-Fi airside for the next five years.

Eircom had earlier signed a tentative deal which saw Dublin Airport refusing to allow other operators from even being allowed to go on-site to install Wi-Fi in competition. Presumably, this explains the farcical situation Log On noticed last week whereby O2's hotspot - installed during the EU presidency - was still visible but unusable. The company probably couldn't get in to deactivate and remove the equipment.

To ward off accusations of a monopoly, Eircom has committed to negotiate with other providers to allow them use its network. It's unlikely to quell the anger of other providers annoyed at the outcome.

Check out Eircom's wireless broadband map for details of the firm's other hotspot locations.