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The 'why' behind shoddy hospitality Wi-Fi -— and how to fix it
To make Wi-Fi effective in a classic hotel environment or conference centre or stadium is very complex
You're on a business trip, in a hotel room, and the office wants you in a video conference. But the signal from the free Wi-Fi is so bad it is practically impossible to use for a voice conversation, let alone live video. Typically, in this scenario, the options are to use one's own mobile data at high cost, or to phone the front desk for tech support. There is a third option: bang on your neighbours' walls and ask them to disconnect their phones from the Wi-Fi. Obviously, that's not practical, but it could well be the best solution, due to the way Wi-Fi is typically set up. "When Wi-Fi first came out, it was very simple but, to make it effective in a classic hotel environment or conference centre or stadium, is very complex, because there is lots of interference, and interference is the death of Wi-Fi," says Nick Watson, vice-president for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ruckus Wireless, a global provider of wireless systems. "Most smartphones tend to hang on to a Wi-Fi access poi...
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