November 2003 - As the notion of offering high-speed
Internet access to guests becomes increasingly widespread in the hospitality
industry, many hotels are left to ponder which of the several competing
access technologies are best for their guests, and their bottom line. One
of the biggest challenges in the industry today is that many hotels do
not have the wiring infrastructure in place to support high-speed access
solutions. One hotel, the WyteStone Suites in Fredericksburg, Virginia,
has found an effective solution that benefits guests and the hotel�s income
statement.
Built in 1995, WyteStone is an 85-unit,
all-suites property. Standard CAT 3 wiring was installed in its walls when
the hotel was built, which was sufficient at the time for the hotel�s telephone
system. Today, however, CAT 3 is considered inadequate for high-speed Internet
signals. That left hotel management with a dilemma.
Evaluating Various Technologies
Fred Chason, president of the WyteStone Company, which owns WyteStone
Suites and four additional properties, was charged with the responsibility
of making the hotel high-speed-ready. �There were a few different technologies
we evaluated,� Chason says. �Our primary interest was in getting something
effective installed while minimizing the hassles related to installation.
Cost also factored into our |
WyteStone Suites of Fredericksburg
4615 Southpoint Parkway
Fredericksburg, Virginia |
criteria.� One option was rewiring the building with CAT 5 cabling. Chason
immediately discarded this notion because of the huge cost typically associated
with installing dedicated wiring. �We also anticipated significant disruption
to guest activities, which we believed was unacceptable. We really wanted
other choices.�
One intriguing alternative WyteStone considered was a system that would
run Internet signals over the existing telephone lines. While Chason felt
the system offered some benefits for the hotel, Chason and the company�s
management team were not confident in the system�s speed and reliability.
�It turned out that when the building was wired there were too many junctions
installed, which created a problem with running the Internet signals over
the phone system.� That left only two options.
Comparing Wireless and PLC Technologies
It really came down to a consideration of two different technologies:
one, a traditional wireless solution that relies on radio waves to relay
Internet signals throughout the hotel, and the other, a new solution, called
powerline communications (PLC).
PLC systems use existing electrical wiring, present in almost all buildings
regardless of type, to carry high-speed data communications signals. Essentially,
this technology turns ordinary electrical receptacles into network access
ports. A special device called a �gateway� helps distribute the Internet
signal through the building�s electrical wiring, eliminating the need for
installing dedicated CAT 5 wiring. Portable PLC modems that connect to
desktop or laptop computers feature an ordinary electrical plug on one
end. The user gains instant Internet access by simply plugging the special
modem into any electrical outlet in the room and then plugging the modem�s
Ethernet connection into their laptop.
Both the wireless system and the PLC system captured Chason�s attention
since they avoided the hassles of installing wiring and offered mobility
for guests using laptops in their suites. �We tested a wireless system
and it worked very well in the front of the building. But because of the
building�s density, the signals didn�t reach the back rooms at all,� he
notes. The property, like many hotels, is constructed of brick and cast
in place (CIP) concrete, which has a tendency to interfere with wireless
signals.
The PLC system, as Chason found out, would face no such hurdles. Chason
contacted Telkonet, Inc., a Maryland-based technology firm that offers
a PLC solution called the PlugPlusInternet � system. Their proprietary
technology transmits Internet signals over electrical wiring inside large
commercial structures � such as hotels and other multi-unit structures
� without any signal distortion or interference.
�Telkonet came and demonstrated the system. We were extremely impressed
with the speed and distortion-free signal,� Chason reports. �We settled
on this PLC system and had Telkonet install it in June.�
Simple Installation
Installation turned out to be a painless operation, a far cry from the
mess Chason would have faced if he had installed CAT 5 wiring. Telkonet
conducted a technical survey at the hotel and determined that five couplers
would need to be installed at the hotel�s electrical boxes. That same day,
an electrician was brought in to perform these simple installations. A
day later, a Telkonet modem was put in every suite, and the system was
ready for use. The modems are placed on the desk in the front sitting area
of each suite, but can be moved at will to the bedroom or anywhere else
in the suite. With more than 10 electrical outlets in each unit, the Telkonet
system offered the same degree of mobility guests might have experienced
with a standard wireless system. But, there was another advantage for WyteStone
as well: cost.
�I
would say the Telkonet system cost about one-third of what a wireless system
would have run us,� he says. �By comparison, a hardwired system with new
cabling installed would have cost about three times more than the PLC solution
we picked.� Early on, Chason decided to challenge one group of guests to
see how robust the new Internet system would be. �We had a group of about
40 government agency guests staying with us that day, people who had been
to our hotel before. I asked them to help us test the system and challenged
them to try to slow down the system by all getting online at the same time.
They did, and there wasn�t any delay in speed whatsoever.�
Another benefit Chason sees in the new Telkonet PlugPlusInternet system
is its ease of use. �We don�t need a tech guy onsite to explain anything.
That�s a big savings for the hotel. The modems come with their own easy
instructions and our guests have never had a problem figuring out how to
get online quickly. I would recommend the Telkonet system to other hotels
any day. It�s a great high-speed solution and the company has proven to
be very easy to work with throughout the process.� |