Source: www.slashfood.com
Research by the Communications Consumer Panel as part of Lord Carter’s Digital Britain Review has concluded that broadband is as important as electricity or water. That will ring alarm bells in the minds of UK-based and European hoteliers – many of whom need to charge guests for internet access.
Hoteliers face many challenges when it comes to providing broadband access to guests, especially where the national infrastructure just isn’t up to the job of supplying high speed access to all– as in the UK – at a low cost.
They can be hampered by technical problems, such as the availability of broadband, distance from the exchange and type of network. They also have to manage concurrent usage, which can be unpredictable, and cope with the demands of different users – some of whom just want to be able to check their emails using minimal bandwidth; and others who might be downloading films or watching content stored at home via a Slingbox which require massive bandwidth.
I think the answer lies in a tiered pricing structure, where those who use less bandwidth pay a smaller fee than those who require more. After all, you don’t pay Fiat prices for a Ferrari.
Tags: Broadband, Communications Consumer Panel, Digital Britain, electricity, Ferrari, Fiat, Internet, Lord Carter, utility