The arrival of 5G technology promises to be a major revolution for many industries, and hospitality will be no exception. 5G promises to increase connection speeds, reduce latency to a minimum and exponentially multiply the number of devices that can be connected, offering many possibilities for a wide range of uses in hotel establishments.
One of the main keys to its application in hotels is that its roll-out will enable the implementation of IoT (Internet of Things), as it supports levels of real-time connection of devices that were not previously possible. This will greatly facilitate communication between smartphones and smart objects, whether between staff members or between guests and the hotel itself.
5G is not cheap to implement, it will require the installation of a large number of antennas and receivers. However, it will be faster and cheaper to deploy than other technologies in past decades.
Some experts point out that incorporating this technology will not only improve reputation, but will also help with the internal operations of businesses. Another positive aspect of this technological advance is that coverage will be considerably improved as the power of the network will allow for better speeds in rural and remote environments.
The benefits to business are clear as it will facilitate the personalisation of the customer experience in a much more automatic and instantaneous way than at present.
Practical examples could include allowing customers to set the temperature of their room from their mobile phone, order a drink or dinner prior to arrival, or choose when and how they would like to receive a treatment at the hotel spa.
Other practical applications could be to give hotel guests access to voice assistants and chatbots or to create a private network for all their connectable devices.
In the experience of events, 5G will be a game changer. The use of virtual and augmented reality during a trade show or congress will be much more efficient thanks to increased bandwidth and reduced latency time. 5G technology will simplify and improve the delivery of online content and enable live interactions during conferences.
Just over a decade ago, the introduction of Wi-Fi in hotels also posed a dilemma for hoteliers. At first, many offered this internet access service as a paid premium service, but its widespread adoption has made it a free and basic requirement in any establishment around the world. Will the same thing happen with IoT in hotels?
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