The tech industry has been buzzing as the rollout of 5G mobile broadband, the successor of 4G LTE, begins to expand across certain cities. A full transition from 4G is unlikely in the near future as the new technology will take years to completely sweep over the world, however it is important for hotels to begin considering the implications on the hospitality industry.

An important aspect to acknowledge is the potential hotel “dark spots” that 5G will create. The new cellular service may not easily cover hotels because it utilizes a higher frequency, which can be incompatible with heavy building materials. If hotels want to keep a pristine reputation for fast connection, they will have to supplement with the fastest Wifi available. 

Wifi 6 appears to be the answer to this dilemma. Its predecessor (Wifi 5) came about in 2014, when the average household had around 5 connected devices. Nowadays the number is closer to 11, and it is only expected to increase from here.

The thing to note about Wifi 6 isn’t the maximum connection speed, it is the strength and therefore the ability to support even more devices at one time. Obviously, this is a win for hotels because of the high amount of devices they have in the building constantly.

As 5G is tested all around the country, guests will be used to high connection speeds in their homes. Their expectations will increase and hoteliers must find ways to adapt to the spotty coverage, and the best way to combat this appears to be the ever-improving Wifi capacities. 

Aside from the lower latency connections, 5G is much more than just an improvement from 4G LTE. A host of new technological developments will be possible, most of which haven’t been imagined yet. Hotels will need to be on the offensive when it comes to capitalizing on these unknown advancements into ventures such as Internet of Things, augmented reality, and more.

Image source: Medium