I’m just back from Alaska, where Motorola Solutions has boosted both customer satisfaction and staff productivity at the state’s largest ski resort with the installation of true high-speed, wall-to-wall Wi-Fi coverage in every guest room with plenty of bandwidth to ensure superior wireless performance, regardless of how many devices may be in use. “Most hotels and resorts offer free high-speed wireless service but aren’t always able to deliver on their ‘high-speed’ promise,” reads a story on the Wi-Fi project by TodayWirelessWorld.com. “Hotels and resorts can shake the stigma of sluggish WLAN signal strength when they stop trying to make a consumer-grade wireless router pull the weight. Instead, when a proven communications company can work directly with the establishment to find a solution, guests can enjoy true high-speed Internet service.” That’s what happened at the 304-room Alyeska Resort, which responded to customers who complained about the Internet connection. TodaysWirelessWorld.com said the Motorola Solutions T5 Wi-Fi over VDSL2 system resulted in 100% guest satisfaction with the Wi-Fi service and a dramatic reduction in wireless network management time and cost for hotel staff. It quoted Martin Cassens, Director of Information Technology for Alyeska Resort, as saying, “Before we implemented Motorola Solutions’ WLAN technology, everyone was talking about the lack of wireless connectivity in the guest rooms. Now, no one is talking about it. Not only does it work flawlessly, but we also can guarantee that all guests will have the bandwidth required for a superior wireless experience, regardless of whether they are in the lobby or in their rooms, how many devices are in use in each room—or how many devices are on the network.” Imran Akbar, Vice President & General Manager, Enterprise Networks & Communications for Motorola Solutions said, “Motorola Solutions’ WLAN technology has taken an overwhelmed Wi-Fi network and turned it into a superior wireless experience for every mobile device being used by Alyeska guests and staff.” The project followed four steps:
  • Six TS-524 Wi-Fi over VDSL2 switches were installed in the IT equipment room, connected between the existing private phone network and the existing guest room telephone connections.
  • Approximately one-third of the existing phone jack wall plates in some of the guest rooms were replaced with a TW-511 Wall Plate access point—a task that took just minutes per room and required only a screwdriver.
  • The TW-510 wall plate provided an inexpensive means to add a high-speed Ethernet port in rooms that were already covered by adjacent TW-511 in another guest room.
  • Outdoor access points were deployed to provide the point-to-point link to the resort maintenance shop and its buildings and grounds department.
Akbar said the T5 even blends in the décor of the resort’s guest rooms. That what I call form and function! Congratulations to the Alyeska Resort for making this investment in its guests’ experience. With the resulting boost in staff efficiency, it sure seems be paying off!