20 June is the day the industry marks all things Wi-Fi each year. As a provider of high-performance Wi-Fi services and solutions to some of the world’s largest service providers and brands, we live and breathe connectivity every day. We’ve seen firsthand the transformative effect of Wi-Fi on social inclusion.
Supporting the day’s theme: Connected The Unconnected, we’re sharing a couple of GlobalReach use cases. These show how our technology has helped communities to benefit from the venue’s Wi-Fi service.
Smart cities
When it comes to inner cities, you’ll often read about the digital divide. Every city has a digital plan to reduce the gap between connected and unconnected populations because connectivity increases productivity, education, social inclusion and reduces costs.
We’re proud that GlobalReach’s technology is also used in capital cities and towns to provide free Wi-Fi, supporting visitors, local workers and residents.
It’s important that Wi-Fi is in place because cellular coverage can be patchy in inner city areas owing to building materials like steel and glass. Having high-performance Wi-Fi services provides internet access in low-income areas – or to low-income populations. This helps bridge the gap, enabling access to digital services, free VOIP calls, online education and training and more.
Rail stations
We provide connectivity alongside our partner Telent, at some of the UK’s major transport hubs. These include 19 of the largest Network Rail stations including London Waterloo, London Kings Cross, Paddington, London Bridge, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly and Glasgow Central.
Many stations are being transformed into community hubs to benefit both passengers and the wider local community. In terms of Wi-Fi, service providers want to enable access for the wider neighbourhood. We know from talking to our customers how important it is that they work with suppliers who can enable this vision.
Stations are often in city centres close to social housing where there may not be a reliable internet service at home. We heard stories during the pandemic of how the station’s Wi-Fi service was used to keep these stakeholders connected and safe. This continues today as school children, the homeless and local families log in to access online services.
Maritime
Crew welfare has long been a central issue for merchant vessels. Our service was designed specifically to connect remote crew, working a long way from home, often for months, to maintain their morale and improve their well-being at sea.
The service allows the crew’s family and friends back on land to support them. It’s delivered for one of our satellite provider partners and is an example of us customising the Wi-Fi service for the operating environment.
Read our use cases here.