Business travellers benefit from flexi-speed broadband offering

Business users who need to use hotel internet facilities can now choose the bandwidth speed that best suits the task they're undertaking, rather than just a one-size-fits-all offering.

Launched this week, the Speed Solution from broadband specialist iBAHN lets hotel guests use wired or wireless premium high-speed internet access on either a daily or weekly basis, or if they prefer they can make use of a no-frills basic connection free of charge.

The former, premium service is deal for heavy users like corporate travellers, those who use bandwidth-intensive applications and users who want to download music or videos, according to its creator.

The more basic offering is ideal for users who are happy with occasional email access and web surfing.

"Business travellers have been paying a one-cost-fits-all HSIA charge for too long," said Graeme Powell, managing director of iBAHN in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

"While our customers tell us that they are happy to pay for a quality and reliable internet connection, we also feel it makes sense to match price with usage. Our Speed Solution enables hoteliers to cost-effectively manage guests' ever-increasing needs for bandwidth."

iBAHN says it introduced the service in response to user demand. The company has conducted end user surveys since 2003, and thus far some 80 per cent of respondents have cited connection speed as their biggest bug bear when it comes to hotel broadband.

Karl-Heinz Pawlizki, director of operations, Intercontinental Hotel Groups (IHG), which earlier this month announced plans for a new business-to-business (B2B) payment card system, added: "iBAHN's Speed Solution is a revelation in hotel connectivity. It will allow me to provide free internet access to my guests, while eliminating my HSIA operating expenses in one simple, fully-managed service."

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