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How Much It'll Cost If MGM Resorts' Free Public WiFi Isn't Fast Enough

March 19, 2013 at 2:45 PM | by | Comments (4)

In January, MGM Resorts announced it was bringing free WiFi to everyone.. in its public spaces. At the time, the gaming company mentioned that speedier service would be available for a fee. But, specific pricing wasn't mentioned.

A drinking trip to Mandalay Bay last night put the answer in the palm of our hand when we put down the Crabbie's picked up our smart phone and found the screen shown above. Basic connectivity was offered at a speed of 256 kbps while a Web Browsing speed of 512 kbps was billed at $7.95 for 24 hours. For those in search of Media Streaming, 1.5 mbps was available for $14.95 for 48 hours.

Compare that pricing to do not do Internet kiosks which bill at a minimum of $5, plus .35 cents a minute, and Caesars Entertainment which offers property-wide roaming for $24.99 for 24 hours, or inter-property roaming for $34.99.

But, really.. does anyone (outside of, perhaps, conventioneers) actually pay for Internet connectivity in Vegas? Have you? Would you? Tell us why or why not in the comments below!

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Signal blockout

During a horrific stay at the Quad in January, my t-mobile phone was unable to pick up any kind of signal once entering the building.  This included the casino, elevators, hallways, and my room (which had a balcony overlooking the lovely parking garage but still was open to the exterior).  In that case, I would have considered it.  Couldn't get texts, calls, or any 4G signal.  Intentional?
sammasseur on March 19, 2013 at 3:28 PM #Permalink

International Travelers

A lot of international travelers, which in my personal experience we depend more and more on, find it cheaper than paying  roaming fees. Of course, it's still cheaper to get a US sim card.
Howzie on March 19, 2013 at 8:46 PM #Permalink

So Much For HD

To put things in perspective, the 1.5 Mbps speed is enough to stream standard def YouTube (480p) or Netflix with the HD setting turned off. Not enough for HD (which needs 3 Mpsp).

Google Maps will work, but a bit slowly.

Just about everything else you do online will be fine.

At the free speed, email and social networks apps will do OK. But don't try to check out Facebook on your laptop and expect the page to load instantly. But you'll be able to use Twitter and Facebook on browser with just a touch of patience.

Ironically, most casino property websites will seriously struggle at the free connection speed!

AccessVegas on March 20, 2013 at 1:29 AM #Permalink

Not intentional - maybe

T-Mo sucks in Vegas. I had to dump them for another carrier when I moved here.
roblarosa on March 20, 2013 at 1:29 PM #Permalink
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