Wi-Fi in Hotels

Gulliver, at The Economist, on what’s happening with wi-fi in hotels.

How about you, are you experiencing slower reception and connectivity?

A PIECE in the New York Times earlier in the week explained why Wi-Fi connectivity in hotels has been getting slower of late. It seems the runaway success of tablet computers has created an army of people who like nothing better to do than sit in their hotel rooms and stream videos, placing a huge demand on the network.

One possible solution would be to install a tiered system, so guests would pay differing rates for Wi-Fi depending on their proposed activity.

The lowest level, suitable for basic Internet requirements like checking e-mail, would be free, but other levels would be priced depending on bandwidth requirements. According to iBAHN [an internet-service provider for the hospitality industry], iPads consume four times more Wi-Fi data per month than the average smartphone.

Having to pay to use the internet is one of the standard gripes of hotel guests, particularly in smarter establishments. But if they and their fellows will continue watching online videos into the small hours, they’ll probably have to start paying.