Archive for category: News

We recently visited the Holiday Park Show and were reminded that there are still a lot of places in the UK that don’t have WiFi access or even mobile phone coverage.

 

While the larger parks have deployed WiFi at least across common areas, many of the smaller parks are struggling to justify the cost, despite the demand from customers. Yet when the larger ISPs can’t justify the cost of laying a network in remote areas, some holiday destinations can suffer. What’s more, many big broadband providers can’t deal with the complexity of creating high-speed WiFi connections in metal-framed caravans or holiday homes.

 

Having a strong, stable WiFi connection has become a deal-breaker for many holiday goers. Families are used to having a variety of devices on hand to quell tensions during raining summer days, or for mum and dad to check-up on their work emails, but using iPads and smartphones can become expensive (or impossible) if there’s no WiFi to connect to.

 

WiFi is also useful for holiday park operators: knowing that customers are connected means they can send out promotional information to holidaymakers to let them know about new deals, or the day’s activities in the park. They can also use the network to ensure staff are where visitors need them to be, and vending machines are kept fully stocked, enhancing the experience of holidaymakers.

 

Getting a network in place

 

Before moving onto developing a smart park which we looked at in a previous blog, it is crucial to get the basics right. And it doesn’t have to involve the park paying for the network.

 

Wifinity thrives on the challenge of creating WiFi networks to some of the most remote, hard-to-reach areas of the UK. No holiday park is the same, so Wifinity uses a combination of the best technologies available to provide the most appropriate solution for each location.

 

We also offer different pricing models to suit the parks financial needs. There doesn’t have to be a significant investment upfront to be able to offer WiFi to customers.

 

Holiday parks can provide high-grade WiFi to their customers in three ways:

 

1. On a Pay-as-you-go basis, where Wifinity puts in the infrastructure and collects the revenue from holidaymakers. This is a low cost, low risk option for holiday parks.

 

2. Using a Wireless-as-a-Service model, whether the holiday park buys connectivity from Wifinity (and can either charge customers on a Pay-as-you-go basis, or as part of site fees or caravan rental), thus increasing revenue generation. This is a low-risk option, as all support and technology upgrades are included in the service.

 

3. Using a hybrid model, where the park pays for part of the infrastructure and takes a share of revenue. This gives the park greater control over the infrastructure and ability to set pricing. It also allows the park access to the analytics to enable them to promote activities or offers to customers.

 

Establishing a secure and stable WiFi connection brings considerable benefits for holiday parks, and the cost doesn’t need to break the bank. It’s an investment well worth considering as our culture becomes more connected.

It can be hard of for the elderly living in care home communities to adapt. It’s common for people to feel like they’re losing their independence when they go into care. The daily routines of their lives are often replaced, and they find themselves surrounded by new faces just when they need the support and care of friends and family the most.

We now view internet connectivity is a utility and a basic right, one that older people – particularly those in residential care – need to have access to. Access to a fast and reliable internet connection enables the most socially isolated of us to keep our relationships strong. It lets us watch what we like, when we like and allows us to follow our hobbies and interests wherever we are.

Connectivity in care homes for the elderly

The Office for National Statistics reported that, as of 2016, more than 74% of people aged 65 to 74 were internet users, while almost 39% of those aged over 75 regularly used the internet. However, when examining internet use in care homes, Age UK found that 60% of the UK’s 397,000 elderly care home residents had never used the internet. It also reported that a mere 2,835 of the almost 18,000 care homes in England had internet access – which is obviously a huge barrier to improving that figure.

Many people in the 65-74 age range will have worked with computers, or been around their children who grew up with computers as part of their daily work and leisure activities. Many elderly people living outside of care homes have access to friends, family and other resources through the internet. Care home residents deserve the same level of access.

Explaining the benefits of the internet

Some people just may not want to learn how to use a computer, or go online. They may hear the scare stories, or could have decided that they’re ‘too old’ to learn something like that. But digital inclusion is important for a number of reasons.

Keeping lines of communication open

The world is changing. The way younger generations communicate has moved on. While some in the elder generation grew up writing letters, most of their grandchildren only put pen to paper under parental duress to write thank you cards. They prefer digital communications.

While many advocates of letter writing bemoan this, they’re ignoring (or just don’t know about) the benefits of video calls where you can both see and speak to your friend or family member, no matter where they are in the world.

Maintaining independence

With digital inclusion, no longer does a resident need to give a shopping list to a member of staff or a family member, now they can do their shopping online, choosing the brands they like and making the substitutions they want. If they can’t get to the theatre or the ballet any more, they can now watch performances online.

They can do what they want, when they want – rather than depending on a set schedule of entertainment provided by someone else.

It’s about choice

In another study, Age UK found that most elderly people who did not use the internet said that it was because they just weren’t interested in doing so. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given the option, or that they ‘just need to be convinced’. Independence is about making your own choices, and not having them restricted by ridged structures, or those in authority who think they know what’s best for you.

Care home management

It is not just the residents that benefit, but the care homes themselves. Staff need to be able to compare notes and they need to be able to inform family members on how their relative is. Delays can occur if a member of staff is unable to access these files due to internet connectivity issues, which is why care homes need robust and secure connections.

WiFi can also deliver operational efficiencies, and in some case cost savings. Through the use of IoT, heating and lighting systems can be automated and prescriptions automatically ordered from doctors when a resident is running low on their medication. For more active residents, the home can share news about activities that are taking place and requests can be dealt with quicker.

 

There are limited barriers to installing and running a WiFi solution in care homes. It’s no different to putting it into a school or a hotel where there are a lot of residents. As we can see from the ONS figures, demand is there, and while not all residents will take up the offer, those that do will benefit greatly from the social contact, entertainment and avenues of independence that digital communication provides.

The Government’s push for reforming the prison service is built around the need to improve rehabilitation rates. The shake up of the prison service was also at the heart of new laws laid out in the latest Queen’s speech.

Supporting someone to follow a lawful path in life goes beyond a philosophical debate. Prisoners need practical support and actions if they are to succeed. If we look at other countries, especially in Scandinavia, where the premise of the prison system is to rehabilitate as opposed to purely punish a lot can be learnt.

In a recent speech on the issue of technology in jails, Nick Hardwick, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons said: “I can think of few jobs nowadays that do not require at least a basic level of IT skills. In importance it’s just a short way between basic literacy and numeracy.

“It is not just a matter of education and training. How do you apply for a job without web access? Look for and apply for accommodation? Manage your money? Make travel arrangements?”

Norway has one of the lowest reoffending rates at only 20%. There are a lot of factors contributing to this and one of them is the access, tightly controlled of course, that prisoners have to the internet.

As Norwegian prison governor Arne Wilson, who is also a clinical psychologist, explained to The Guardian:

“In closed prisons we keep them locked up for some years and then let them back out, not having had any real responsibility for working or cooking. In the law, being sent to prison is nothing to do with putting you in a terrible prison to make you suffer. The punishment is that you lose your freedom. If we treat people like animals when they are in prison they are likely to behave like animals. Here we pay attention to you as human beings.”

There are understandable concerns about allowing prisoners to have internet access. Some prisoners currently use mobile phones to illicitly get online, and there will always be some individuals that must be kept away from the internet at all costs. But for most, allowing access to the internet can help them with their job search, provide them access to educational resources, allow them to keep in contact with their friends and family, and prevent isolating them on the fringes of society.

Robust controls and filtering are now available to prevent access to inappropriate sites.

Learning from the Armed Forces and corporate environments

One only needs to look at other sectors that require tight security and strict controls to see the potential for deploying WiFi in UK prisons.

Take the armed services as an example. Barracks and training facilities are often in remote locations with little access to the outside world, personnel have very strict timetables to follow but WiFi is viewed as a welfare issue so the armed forces can stay in touch with family and friends. Resettlement after leaving the forces can also be a challenge, meaning that access to information on finding housing, jobs and educational tools is essential.

Armed Forces sites place great demands on a network. Whether it is a soldier wanting to watch a film on Netflix in the evening (using PAYG internet), a cadet accessing the course materials they need to study, or an officer communicating with colleagues, a network can be secured and different priorities given to meet all these needs.

In the corporate world, some companies even block access on their networks to certain websites and social networks, least it harm productivity levels.

If the armed forces and the corporate world can make WiFi work for them, so can the prison service. Prisons need to establish a secure WiFi connection, one that not only tightly controls what can be accessed but also monitors what is being looked at. Yes, it needs to have strong access control, but by blocking all prisoners from what’s now seen as one of the most basic necessities, the prison service is helping to further isolate and alienate their charges.

Holiday Parks know that, in order to survive, they need to be able to offer wireless connectivity to guests. Whether it is so a parent can keep up with work emails on a long weekend away, or so kids can be entertained on a rainy day, providing internet to guests is the only option these days.

But what else can a WiFi connection deliver?

There has been a lot of talk about smart cities but can a holiday park also be ‘smart’? With a stable and robust internet connection there is no reason why not. The possibilities available with smart technology and the Internet of Things are endless.

Park owners are already exploring smart meters to monitor energy and allow them to maintain complete control of their energy supplies direct from their computers. Imagine taking this a step further. Whether it is enabling smart queuing, smart irrigation or an app for maintenance requests, the holiday park can make significant savings while also providing a better service to guests.

Smart metering also means that owners of vans will be charged for their exact energy usage and not estimates. Lights could be automatically switched off when guests leave their caravan and the door is locked from the outside saving on energy costs. An app on a guest’s phone could even do the locking/unlocking for them.

In addition, many parks offer different options for guests from breakfast only to half-board. All of which inevitably end in a queue while waiting to be signed in by a staff member when entering the dining room. Could a smart band be the answer? It is given to a guest on arrival with all the information about their stay preloaded. With it they simply need to walk into the dining room for the park to know who has taken up the meals included in a package, and any not included can be automatically added to the final bill.

Smart bands could also help parents keep an eye on children. They would be able to monitor where their children are in the park via their mobiles, or be preloaded with a monetary allowance. That way, teenagers old enough not to be supervised all the time can use them to pay for facilities and entertainment without parents worrying about endless bills at the end of the stay (or being constantly asked for change).

It isn’t just about tracking spending. Connected devices also give holiday parks the information they need to ensure they are able to offer the best possible facilities to guests. By understanding what facilities are used and when, whether it is the games room, mini ten pin bowling or soft play, they can ensure staff are available where and when needed, and that unused facilities can be replaced.

Vending machines can even monitor their own stock levels. When a product is getting low, a message can be sent to a staff member to refill it, or if stock is low across the park an order can be raised directly with the supplier. This results in customers receiving a smoother service – in the form of well-stocked machines and staff who are able to spend time helping out elsewhere.

The possibilities are endless, but only with a stable, robust and scalable wireless internet connection. The Internet of Things needs to be embraced, but first networks have to be deployed that can match the demand it will bring otherwise introducing smart technology may cause more frustration than relaxation for guests of holiday parks.