When guests keep complaining about the WiFi and your provider isn't fixing it, more hardware rarely solves the problem. What you need is someone who takes responsibility for it.
At FIICOMS, we design, install and look after property wide internet and guest WiFi for hotels, resorts and accommodation buildings across the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and Northern NSW. We then stay responsible for keeping it working for the whole life of your agreement.
Book your free hotel technology audit
What is managed hotel WiFi?
Managed hotel WiFi is a service where one specialist provider designs, installs, monitors and maintains your whole guest network, and is responsible for fixing it when something goes wrong.
With FIICOMS, that covers five things:
- Designing coverage around your building, including rooms, corridors, the pool, the restaurant and any conference spaces
- Installing the access points, any cabling that's needed and the connection into the building
- Monitoring the network so problems are picked up before your front desk hears about them
- Maintaining the network and fixing the cause of a fault rather than just the symptom
- Giving you one number to call, so you're never caught between an internet provider, a hardware supplier and an IT contractor
The result is a network your team doesn't have to think about, which leaves them free to look after guests.
Why does hotel WiFi matter so much to your bookings?
Guests treat WiFi as essential and judge you on it. J.D. Power's 2022 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index found WiFi is the one hotel amenity guests can't live without, and 81% of guests used the internet in their room.
The study surveyed 34,407 guests of branded North American hotels about stays between May 2021 and May 2022. It's North American data, so treat it as a guide to guest expectations rather than an Australian benchmark.
Poor WiFi costs you in two ways. Your front desk team takes the complaints with no way to fix the network themselves. And a single review saying the WiFi was useless can stay on your listing for years, turning away bookings you never see.
And it's rarely just the WiFi. Foxtel problems are one of the regular reasons managers call us, and guests don't care which system is at fault. They just want the TV and the internet to work.
How is managed WiFi different from just buying new hardware?
New hardware treats today's symptoms, while a managed service fixes the underlying problem and keeps it fixed. When you buy equipment yourself, the design, the monitoring and the late night phone calls all stay with you.
It also matters when people move on. Onsite managers turn over often, and each new one inherits WiFi problems nobody owns. A managed service stays with the building, so the responsibility doesn't leave when a manager does.
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Buying hardware yourself |
General IT support |
Managed hotel WiFi with FIICOMS |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Who designs the coverage |
You, or whoever sold |
Varies |
We do, after visiting |
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Who notices a fault |
Usually a guest |
Usually a guest |
Our monitoring, often before |
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Who you call |
The supplier, then the |
An IT contractor, often office |
One number at FIICOMS |
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Who fixes recurring problems |
Nobody in |
Often patched |
We fix the cause and |
|
Built for hotels |
Rarely |
Rarely |
Yes, hotel networks are our |
|
How you pay |
Large upfront cost |
Hourly or per job |
One agreement, with |
What's included in a FIICOMS managed hotel WiFi service?
Every FIICOMS service includes property wide design and installation, internet over a redundant fibre network, next generation access points, proactive monitoring, maintenance and local support, all under one 3 or 5 year agreement.
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What's included |
What it means for you |
|---|---|
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Free hotel technology audit and site visit |
You find out what's actually wrong before spending anything |
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Custom network design |
Your network is built around your building, because no two properties are the same |
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Internet over a redundant fibre network |
Layered redundancy means one failure won't take your guests offline |
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Next generation access points in |
Strong coverage inside each room, not only near the corridor |
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Proactive monitoring |
Faults are picked up early, often before your guests notice |
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Maintenance and follow through |
Recurring issues are fixed at the source, and we check they stay fixed |
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Local support on one number |
Call 1300 962 431 or email hello@fiicoms.com and speak with people who know your site |
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Room to grow |
Hospitality TVs, phones, digital compendiums and casting can all run on the same network |
Why do hotels choose FIICOMS over other WiFi providers?
Hotels choose us because we fix problems properly and follow up afterwards. Support is the core of what we offer, and it shows in our retention, with only one client lost in about six years.
Before we offered anything to hotels, we spent about two years testing different network, router and casting setups. By the time a system reaches your property, it has already been proven in the field.
Networking is where we started. FIICOMS grew out of the networking side of Swellnet, the Australian surf forecasting site, and we still manage Swellnet's national surfcam network. Those cameras stream live from beaches around the country, so any downtime is noticed straight away.
Our team brings decades of experience. Ben Black, our General Manager, has worked in telecommunications for more than 20 years and designed the wide area network for Tweed Shire Council. Mitch Davison, our Network Manager, is a certified routing engineer with eight years of experience. You can meet the team on our About page.
Hotel and accommodation networks are our core focus. We don't manage office PCs or general IT, so the hotels, resorts and accommodation buildings we look after get a team that specialises in their networks.
We're also local. Most of our new work comes through referrals within the coastal accommodation community, and those referrals only come from looking after people well.
Can you fix hotel WiFi without rewiring the whole building?
Many buildings don't need a full rewire. We design around your existing infrastructure, whether that's ageing cabling or a recent fit out, and your audit shows what the building actually needs.
Older buildings do bring challenges. Thick concrete walls and floors block WiFi signal, and older cabling can hold speeds back. Depending on the building, the answer might be repositioning or adding access points so the signal reaches each room, replacing sections of cabling that slow the network down, or upgrading the building's connection to fibre. Most properties need some combination of these.
How do managed hotel WiFi contracts work?
FIICOMS services run on 3 or 5 year managed agreements. Hardware can be paid for upfront or spread across the contract, finance is available through Procuret, and each agreement is tailored to your property.
Who signs the agreement depends on how your property is run. In some buildings the onsite manager or operator contracts the service. In others the body corporate contracts it for the whole building. A split arrangement is also common, with the body corporate funding the hardware and management paying for the ongoing service.
If you'd prefer to avoid a large upfront outlay, our finance options page explains how spreading the cost works.
This is general information only and isn't financial or legal advice. Please speak with your accountant about whether finance suits your business, and check your management rights agreement and by laws before committing.
What else can run on the same hotel network?
Once your network is right, the rest of your guest technology can run on it and be looked after by the same team. Most of our clients add at least one of these services over time.
- Philips and Samsung hospitality TVs with property management system integration
- Reliable Voice hotel phone systems for guests and staff
- Digital compendiums, a QR code guest directory for hotel and local area information
- Room isolated casting, so guests can stream from their own phone to the room TV
- CCTV
Where does FIICOMS install and support hotel WiFi?
We install and support managed hotel WiFi on the Sunshine Coast, including the Noosa corridor, as well as the Gold Coast and Northern NSW. Our local team is based in South East Queensland.
On the Sunshine Coast, we work with resorts, hotels and management rights buildings from Caloundra to Noosa. The Gold Coast is our home market and where most of our clients are. In Northern NSW, we look after properties around Ballina and Byron.
If you're planning ahead for summer, getting in touch early gives you more time to have changes in place before Christmas.
What happens in a free hotel technology audit?
We visit your property, review how your network is set up and where it's falling short, then recommend an upgrade path suited to your building. The audit is free and there's no obligation.
During the visit, we walk the property with you, including rooms, common areas and outdoor spaces. We look at your internet connection, cabling and hardware, and talk through the complaints your team is hearing and any plans you have for the property. Afterwards, we send you our recommendations and a proposal designed for your building.
Ready to put an end to WiFi complaints?
Book your free hotel technology audit and find out what it will take to give your guests WiFi they never have to think about.
Email hello@fiicoms.com, call 1300 962 431 or book online through our contact page.
Book your free hotel technology audit
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does managed hotel WiFi cost?
Pricing is set property by property, because every building needs a different design. It depends on your number of rooms, the building itself and your existing setup. Your free hotel technology audit includes a proposal, with hardware paid upfront or spread across the contract.
What's the difference between managed hotel WiFi and IT support?
Managed hotel WiFi is a specialist service covering the design, monitoring, maintenance and repair of your guest network, all through one provider. General IT support usually looks after office computers and responds to tickets. Hospitality networks are FIICOMS' core focus, and we don't manage office PCs.
Can you fix WiFi in an older concrete building?
Yes. Concrete blocks signal and older buildings often have ageing cabling, but a network designed around the building can still deliver strong coverage in every room. That might involve better access point placement, new cabling in key spots or a fibre upgrade, and your free audit shows which your building needs.
Can I switch hotel WiFi providers if I'm unhappy with my current one?
Yes. Start by checking the end date and exit terms of your current contract, then book an audit so your new network can be planned well ahead of the changeover. Planning early means your guests stay connected while the switch happens.
Where do you install and support managed hotel WiFi?
We install and support managed hotel WiFi across the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast including the Noosa corridor, and Northern NSW around Ballina and Byron. Our local team is based in South East Queensland, and we visit your property in person for the free audit.
What is a free hotel technology audit?
It's a site visit, with no obligation, where FIICOMS reviews your internet connection, cabling, WiFi coverage and guest technology. We look at what's causing problems and what your property needs, then recommend an upgrade path and provide a proposal designed for your building.
How long are FIICOMS managed WiFi contracts?
FIICOMS managed service agreements run for 3 or 5 years and cover design, installation, monitoring, maintenance and support for the life of the agreement. Hardware can be paid upfront or spread across the contract, and finance is available through Procuret if you'd rather keep your capital free.