Hilton Worldwide teams up with BT for bandwidth boost

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Hotel chain Hilton Worldwide is boosting its network bandwidth in a bid to provide enhanced Wi-Fi and fixed-line web access for guests.

Technology and managed services and support will be provided by

BT Openzone as part of the deal, with work starting this autumn.

Once complete, some 100 Hilton hotels and 17,000 bedrooms, in addition to public areas and meeting rooms, will benefit faster and more reliable web access.

Guests with Hilton prestige membership packages will be able to make use of the boosted connectivity, as will existing BT Total Broadband, BT Openzone and iPass customers, and those signed up to deals with roaming partners.

"We are committed to providing our guests with access to the very latest technology, complementing our world class hospitality, and are delighted to collaborate with BT Openzone to deliver an outstanding service in the U.K. and Ireland," said Robert Webb, Hilton Worldwide's chief information officer (CIO).

"This deal builds on last year's agreement with AT&T in the United States and Canada as we look to partner with the very best technology providers around the world."

Chris Bruce, BT Openzone's chief executive, added: "The growing number of travellers with mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones, means guests increasingly expect to be able to log on wherever they are and with a fast and reliable connection."

BT Openzone will be using a centralised cloud computing architecture for the rollout and will oversee network operations, guest internet support, network engineering and software development as well as 24/7 network monitoring.