Pros and Cons: Do we get Fiber Optics to each room?

As previously mentioned in the ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality blog, designing a multiservice network for a hospitality unit (which includes Voice, IPTV and Internet) is not always consensual regarding the technology to be used.

Maintaining an open mind towards all solutions, I consider that the most important thing is that the decision results in benefits, taking into account the conditions and limitations of each Hotel, and that the decisions are made based on various criteria, such as, for example, the typology of the project.

1. REHABILITATION
If we consider hotel requalification projects, we must consider the limitations in terms of structure and architecture, so I support the adoption of a GPON Network (Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Networks)

• Easier to implement, without the need for complex works, it is possible to replace the current network of coaxial cables and bring the optical fiber to the room. Using GPON we can have an acceptable Internet speed and service, voice and wifi greatly improved, in each room. However, the GPON version 1 network is a shared network, with a speed of 2.5 Gbps for downstream and 1.25 Gbps for upstream, which in hotels with a high density of guests, that is, a hotel more focused on the MICE market or Leisure Groups may feel similar to what we experience at home when all the neighbours are using the internet, slowing it down.

• Less cable routing complexity, therefore lower investment cost and better service.

2. NEW HOSPITALITY UNITS

In a new hospitality unit, built from scratch, I advocate taking the fiber to each room, distributing it within them using a Cat 6 or Cat 7 UTP cable. In this way, we can guarantee greater speed of all services, up to 1Gbps or higher, depending on the equipment to be adopted. In this case, we take advantage of having fewer floor frames, achieving longer lengths with the use of fiber.

If we are talking about designing a new hotel with few rooms and with the traditional horizontal distribution in copper and the vertical distribution in fiber, it is always a valid option.

All these options to bring VOICE, INTERNET and IPTV services to the rooms are valid, but it is necessary to have a good understanding of the hotel’s design and structure, its typology, and the client-type.

We, at ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality, have the honour of developing projects in which the choice of technology is very assertive, always considering the investment and the best service for each hotel. We recently designed a Wellness Boutique Resort where, because of the distances between each accommodation, the use of fiber optics was the most appropriate option.

So, what really matters is having the sensitivity to understand which technology to use, always considering the limitations, distances, and investment of each hotel.

Rui Picão
IT Strategist
ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality