OUTDOOR WI-FI
The recent heatwave in the UK saw many people heading to outdoor spaces to enjoy the weather. Many people will have gone to pubs and restaurants to enjoy some al fresco dining and drinking too. But they will have also been keen to use their mobile devices, perhaps to order food or drinks – and to do that requires WiFi. This is just one of the many reasons why demand for outdoor WiFi solutions is growing in the UK. Jordan Hobday, country manager at NETGEAR Enterprise UK&I, says demand is growing steadily for ruggedised WiFi applications. “The main drivers are the expansion of outdoor and semi-outdoor working environments, increased reliance on IoT and connected devices across sites, and a growing expectation that WiFi coverage doesn't stop at the front door,” he explains. “Post-pandemic investment in outdoor hospitality, logistics facilities and public- facing spaces has accelerated things further. Businesses are starting to treat outdoor connectivity as a baseline requirement.” Jordan adds that the demand for outdoor Wi-Fi solutions is broad. “We see particular interest from hospitality: hotels, restaurants and outdoor venues that need to serve customers reliably across terraces and event spaces,” he says. “Education campuses, healthcare sites and local authorities managing public spaces are also consistent buyers. On the commercial side, logistics and warehousing, retail parks and construction sites are growing segments. Anywhere that operations extend beyond four walls and need reliable, managed connectivity.” Martin Flensburg, vice president services delivery and go-to-market, Europe at Westcon-Comstor, adds that the company is seeing growing demand from sports stadiums and large venues as expectations around digital experiences continue to rise. “Today's spectators expect seamless connectivity for services
such as mobile ticketing, venue apps, cashless payments and real-time content,” he says. “At the same time, venues are handling larger numbers of connected devices and generating more operational data than ever before. As a result, stadium operators are investing in high- performance wireless infrastructure that can deliver reliable connectivity in busy, high-density environments. We've seen this first-hand through our collaboration with Extreme Networks, which is helping venues create more connected and engaging fan experiences and deploy the high-performance connectivity needed to support modern venue operations. We continue to see strong interest from major stadiums and sporting venues looking to enhance spectator engagement and operational efficiency.” Jeremy Keefe, CEO of Kubus, agrees that demand is growing from sports venues, as operators want to provide more information to more visitors and customers consistently to drive marketing to visitors and revenue. “For example, they can reach customers with no interruptions and increasing different channels for revenue directly,” he says. Hugh Simpson, EMEA marketing development manager at Zyxel Networks, which has been in the outdoor space since 2004, says the company has seen demand for outdoor WiFi grow by about 15% growth year-on-year over the last couple of years. “We have recently extended our range of outdoor APs to include the WBE665S WiFi 7 AP, a tri-radio unit with a 4x4 smart antenna across all three bands, designed for harsh environments including outdoors, manufacturing, warehouses and cold stores,” he adds. “Its IP68 rating and operating range of -40 to +70 degrees Celsius keep it working through the temperature extremes and increasingly unpredictable weather that outdoor sites now have to deal with.”
Contributors
Jordan Hobday
netgear.com
Martin Flensburg
westconcomstor.com
Jeremy Keefe
kubus.com
Hugh Simpson
zyxek.com
CONTINUED
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