UAE hotel upgrades wireless network and internet connectivity

The Bin Majid Beach Resort in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has upgraded its wireless coverage and Wi-Fi internet connectivity both indoors and outdoors after an increase in demand from guests had caused downtime.

The company also decided it needed to improve connectivity to attract more business customers and events to the resort.

As part of the Bin Majid Group, whose hotels include the Acacia, Mangrove, Nehal, Flamingo, Bin Majid Beach Hotel and Bin Majid Tower and Hotel Apartments, the Bin Majid Beach Resort is a popular tourist destination in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. The group’s hotels are spread across the UAE from the capital, Abu Dhabi, to the northern emirates.

The Bin Majid Beach Resort’s 173 chalets and cabanas all have wireless network services which can host 1,000 users of the internet and intranet.

But as the number of guests increased, the resort’s wireless local area network (WLAN) was not able to cope with the bandwidth demand. “The old system caused a lot of network downtime with guests getting frustrated,” said Umar Farook, group IT manager at the resort.

After considering several options, the company decided to upgrade its wireless network with TP-Link technology.

Farook said the company knew that whatever system was chosen had to provide sufficient coverage and capacity for converged applications, including high-bandwidth video conferencing and online training.

He said any WLAN system downtime was affecting the resort’s ability to host conventions, harming the business’s bottom line. “The ability to provide wireless connectivity is a key component for our business, as it means we can offer specialised entertainment and business service packages to enterprise customers and leisure travellers,” he said. “This is an important profit driver for the hospitality industry.”

As it evaluated several options, the IT team knew it needed Wi-Fi coverage across the entire resort, including the 800-metre private beach. “We needed outdoor and indoor access points,” said Farook.

The new portal includes an easy-to-use authentication system for guests to gain access to the Wi-Fi network. ............................................. ........................................................................................................