(Originally published in TOURISM)
It seems consumers don’t necessarily want to get away from it all when they hit the campgrounds these days. A growing number of campgrounds offer free wireless internet service as part of the camping fee package. No longer are campers just happy to find out the service is available when they show up; they actually request it at the Niagara Falls KOA, according to general manager Lisa Thompson.
“People choose to stay here because we have a Wi‑Fi network. We know how popular it is especially when there are service interruptions. When that happens, right away we have guests in the front door telling us they can’t get connected. That is how we really know how many people are using it.”
Amy Raposo and her husband Tony own the KOA in Barrie, Ontario. They have witnessed pretty much the same trend: “Usually when guests arrive, the third question they ask is 'do you have wireless internet'. We do, and we put in a tower on‑site along with repeaters to make that possible.”
Kyle Newell is the network administrator at KOA's head office in Billings, Montana. He has been asked more than once to give advice to campground owners looking to offer campers wireless internet capability. “The first thing I tell them is they have to have good connectivity to the internet. This can be challenging because not all campgrounds are located in metropolitan areas. Then you need good wireless equipment. Over time, we have identified reliable companies called Wi‑Fi providers who will come in and install their equipment; they will help provide support to the campground as well as the campers, and they will monitor the network to ensure the camper has a good Wi‑Fi experience.”
These firms have this down to a science. They will ensure there are enough antennas and devices installed to provide adequate coverage, Newell explains: “They can look at a site or a satellite picture of a campground (and if they know where all the trailers, trees and buildings are located), they will achieve coverage for the entire park. My advice is ‘don’t do it yourself’. Make sure you work with a Wi‑Fi company that has dealt with campgrounds before because there is a world of difference between setting up a Wi‑Fi in a coffee shop and in a campground with rigs, trees, hills and buildings.”
In the end, Newell believes, campgrounds shouldn’t need to have computer experts on staff. They are in the campground business; they are not an internet service provider. Some things, it seems, are best left for experts in the field.
It seems consumers don’t necessarily want to get away from it all when they hit the campgrounds these days. A growing number of campgrounds offer free wireless internet service as part of the camping fee package. No longer are campers just happy to find out the service is available when they show up; they actually request it at the Niagara Falls KOA, according to general manager Lisa Thompson.
“People choose to stay here because we have a Wi‑Fi network. We know how popular it is especially when there are service interruptions. When that happens, right away we have guests in the front door telling us they can’t get connected. That is how we really know how many people are using it.”
Amy Raposo and her husband Tony own the KOA in Barrie, Ontario. They have witnessed pretty much the same trend: “Usually when guests arrive, the third question they ask is 'do you have wireless internet'. We do, and we put in a tower on‑site along with repeaters to make that possible.”
Kyle Newell is the network administrator at KOA's head office in Billings, Montana. He has been asked more than once to give advice to campground owners looking to offer campers wireless internet capability. “The first thing I tell them is they have to have good connectivity to the internet. This can be challenging because not all campgrounds are located in metropolitan areas. Then you need good wireless equipment. Over time, we have identified reliable companies called Wi‑Fi providers who will come in and install their equipment; they will help provide support to the campground as well as the campers, and they will monitor the network to ensure the camper has a good Wi‑Fi experience.”
These firms have this down to a science. They will ensure there are enough antennas and devices installed to provide adequate coverage, Newell explains: “They can look at a site or a satellite picture of a campground (and if they know where all the trailers, trees and buildings are located), they will achieve coverage for the entire park. My advice is ‘don’t do it yourself’. Make sure you work with a Wi‑Fi company that has dealt with campgrounds before because there is a world of difference between setting up a Wi‑Fi in a coffee shop and in a campground with rigs, trees, hills and buildings.”
In the end, Newell believes, campgrounds shouldn’t need to have computer experts on staff. They are in the campground business; they are not an internet service provider. Some things, it seems, are best left for experts in the field.
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