• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 6, 2013

Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless has introduced a new advertising option aimed at helping marketers drive app downloads. The new ad offering lets mobile users download a featured app in return for a period of free Wi-Fi access, with campaigns  priced on a cost-per-install (CPI) basis.

When logging in to the Boingo service, a user will see a screen offering a minimum of 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi access for downloading an app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play. The company otherwise typically charges $4.95 for an hour of access and $7.95 for “unlimited” access per month.

Boingo says hundreds of thousands of installs have been delivered to date, with up to 20% of users at some locations choosing sponsored access through app downloads. The ad program program is running initially in major airports and other high-traffic areas in cities such as New York, Chicago, London, San Francisco and Miami.

Early “app” advertisers include travel site Hipmunk, Amazon, British Airways, and Hotels.com. Advertised apps must have a four-star or higher rating in the App Store or Google Play and a 15-MB file size limit to be eligible for the Boingo program. The company says it uses proprietary technology to verify downloads.