Simon on: Free Wi-Fi at events

People are still demanding free Wi-Fi at conferences because hotels and coffee shops do it so why not conference venues? Sadly, it’s not as simple as that.

Over recent years the number of Wi-Fi devices being carried by conference attendees has increased significantly. Many now have at least one smartphone plus a tablet computer and probably other kit as well.

The problem is exacerbated by the increasing number of people carrying myfi devices which, as Apple found out years ago, can create havoc on a Wi-Fi network.

The increasing number of Wi-Fi-enabled devices means that, while an organiser of a conference for just a few hundred has a fighting chance of providing reliable free Wi-Fi, those running bigger events have a choice: bring in a specialist or deal with a stream of complaints about poor connectivity.

The problem is that Wi-Fi is not an inexhaustible resource: there are only a few channels available and they can become clogged quickly, meaning that range and capacity of the Wi-Fi access points falls to the level where the service is virtually unusable.

So if you have  more than a few hundred attendees and you want stable, reliable Wi-Fi at your conference, you have to accept reality: you have to pay to provide the service. Don’t assume you can get it free.

Originally published in Conference News