As airports become more connected and data-driven, Miami International Airport (MIA) is proving what’s possible with a focused innovation strategy backed by private wireless infrastructure. Under the leadership of Jonathan Lewis, Division Director of Innovation & Customer Experience, MIA has embraced a CBRS-based private network to improve operations, drive automation, and enable a more agile airport environment.

This article outlines how MIA’s Smart Airport 2.0 vision is coming to life — from initial pilots to full-scale deployment — and how the airport is now leveraging its private network to generate new revenue streams, enhance cybersecurity, and reduce operating costs.

Inside MIA’s Innovation and Customer Experience Strategy

Jonathan Lewis and his team are responsible for enhancing services across five pillars:

• Smart airport transformation
• Customer experience
• Employee experience
• Business process improvement
• Sustainability

This strategy impacts over 1,500 employees and more than 40,000 airport stakeholders including airlines, concessionaires, ground handlers, and service vendors. According to Lewis, collaboration is central to their mission — and that includes working with other airport divisions to accelerate innovation and operational efficiency.

Smart Airport 2.0: The Case for Private Wireless

At the core of MIA’s Smart Airport 2.0 initiative is its private wireless network built on the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum. Unlike traditional wired infrastructure or public Wi-Fi, this dedicated network enables faster, cheaper, and more secure deployment of connected devices throughout the airport campus.

This is particularly useful in locations that were previously considered engineering “dead zones” — such as concrete ceilings, terminal walls, and restricted areas where trenching and cabling would be disruptive or prohibitively expensive.

The benefits have been immediate:

• Increased deployment speed for IoT sensors and cameras
• Lower infrastructure costs
• Greater flexibility to scale use cases as needed
• More real-time operational data for decision-making

CBRS Pilots That Sparked the Smart Airport Vision

MIA’s journey into private wireless began with small-scale CBRS trials between 2021 and 2022. These initial projects focused on improving video surveillance at the airport’s perimeter and supporting Push-to-Talk communication systems for staff.

These early successes demonstrated that infrastructure could be deployed in hard-to-reach areas without heavy construction — unlocking an entirely new set of possibilities. Soon after, the airport began exploring backhauling for IoT devices and video streaming. Vendors were brought in to develop native CBRS-enabled appliances, setting the stage for a campus-wide rollout.

The result? A reliable, high-capacity network that now supports everything from building automation systems to mobile kiosks.

Overcoming IoT Integration and Analytics Challenges

Deploying a private wireless network at an airport isn’t just about connectivity — it’s also about data. But getting there required overcoming several challenges.

• Cultural change management – Convincing teams to adopt a new approach wasn’t easy. Staff needed time to understand the technology, trust it, and reorient how they managed devices and services.
• IoT interoperability – Many IoT devices operated on LoRaWAN and came with their own vendor-specific dashboards. MIA had to figure out how to backhaul these devices into the private CBRS network and centralize the data to avoid managing multiple disconnected dashboards.
• Data unification – To unlock analytics-driven decisions, the airport needed a unified data model that aggregated all IoT sensor outputs in one place. This was vital for enabling proactive, real-time decision-making.

These challenges were significant, but MIA was able to address them quickly thanks to a dedicated team and strong vendor partnerships.

Real-Time Operational Efficiency: Sensors and Automation

One of the most visible benefits of the private network has been the ability to automate tasks that previously required manual effort.

For example, MIA has over 600 elevators, escalators, and moving walkways. Previously, personnel had to manually inspect them for outages. Today, IoT sensors connected via private wireless alert operations teams the moment an issue occurs. The system even auto-generates tickets to dispatch technicians.

In another case, the airport used to install fixed passenger kiosks that required coring the floor and laying power/data lines. Now, it uses mobile kiosks with a 14-hour battery life that can connect wirelessly — giving MIA the ability to reposition them dynamically to reduce congestion and respond to real-time demand.

This level of automation is critical to managing passenger flow and maintaining service quality at one of the busiest airports in the U.S.

Private Wireless and Cybersecurity: A Tighter Perimeter

One of the biggest advantages of private wireless over Wi-Fi is security.

• Devices on the CBRS network use SIM-based authentication, which adds a stronger identity layer than open SSIDs.
• The network is not publicly visible, reducing the attack surface significantly.
• MIA has deployed zero-trust appliances to protect sensitive systems.

Today, the airport uses public Wi-Fi exclusively for passenger connectivity. Meanwhile, mission-critical systems, back-office functions, and infrastructure management rely on the more secure private cellular network.

Monetizing the Network: A New Business Model

In addition to operational efficiencies, MIA’s private network is also enabling new monetization models through its Shared Tenant Services program. These offerings resemble those of a telecom provider and include:

• IPTV and CATV
• Internet and voice services
• Smart hands support
• Private wireless for tenant operations

This allows MIA to support concessionaires, ground handlers, and other airport stakeholders by offering secure, reliable connectivity for:

• Baggage handling
• Point-of-sale systems
• Mobile kiosks
• Tablets and operational devices

Additional revenue-generating ideas under evaluation include leveraging the aircraft turnaround platform and deploying Moken Gateways to enhance mobile carrier coverage in hard-to-reach areas of the terminal.

Lessons Learned from Scaling Private Wireless at MIA

Rolling out a multi-vendor private network at scale taught MIA several key lessons:

1. Hire a neutral consultant. Work with someone who understands the tech stack but doesn’t perform integration. This helps ensure objective planning.
2. Scrutinize licensing models. Costs for radios, antennas, and software subscriptions can add up quickly. Choosing the right models matters.
3. Plan for 5G, not just 4G. Future-proof the network by selecting dongles and devices that support both 4G and 5G.
4. Ensure vendor support readiness. Downtime isn’t acceptable in critical environments. Choose partners who can offer real-time, Tier 3 or Tier 4 support.

In environments like airports, the stakes are high — so vendor responsiveness and platform flexibility must be part of the equation.

How MIA Drove Internal Adoption

To encourage organizational adoption, Lewis used a hub-and-spoke approach. When departments reached out with specific needs, his team would demonstrate how the private wireless network could meet them. As word spread about the network’s capabilities, more teams began requesting solutions.

This grassroots adoption model helped grow MIA’s deployment from 10 radios to 111 radios in the terminal, with more outdoor radios expanding coverage across the campus.

Projects that used to take six months and cost $200,000 — like passenger queue sensors — can now be done in days, without overnight work, permits, or major renovations.

Prioritizing Use Cases Based on ROI

Rather than deploying technology for its own sake, MIA evaluates each use case based on its return on investment.

For example, when concessionaires needed POS monitoring, the wired approach was too expensive and disruptive. But with private wireless, installation became quick and non-invasive — unlocking a viable path forward.

Each new deployment is assessed with a simple question: Does private wireless make it faster or cheaper than the traditional approach? If the answer is yes, it gets prioritized.

Advice for Airports and Public-Sector Leaders

MIA’s journey offers a proven roadmap for other airports and public-sector organizations:

• Start with expert guidance – Engage a knowledgeable consultant early.
• Understand ongoing costs – Don’t overlook subscription, licensing, or Day 2 support requirements.
• Vet vendors carefully – Mission-critical operations require real-time support and flexible deployment models.
• Design for scale – Plan for device growth, future technologies, and evolving use cases.

Private wireless networks can unlock enormous value, but they require careful planning and strong vendor ecosystems to succeed.

MIA Smart Airport 2.0 in Action

Miami International Airport is proving that private CBRS networks are more than a buzzword — they’re a practical foundation for building smarter, safer, and more efficient airports. By embracing private networks, focusing on real-time data, and deploying solutions grounded in ROI, MIA is creating a model that other airports and large campuses can replicate.

From enhancing passenger flow to enabling new revenue streams, MIA’s Smart Airport 2.0 journey demonstrates how the right network can transform an entire ecosystem — one use case at a time.