Wi-Fi revolution gathers pace

December 22, 2015

Wi-Fi is increasingly being offered free of charge to guests in Australian hotels. A survey conducted by TAA revealed that:

• 99% of all hotels surveyed currently offer Wi-Fi as a service to guests.
• The majority of hotels (65%) do not charge for Wi-Fi.
• A further 31% offer it free to customers on a condition (loyalty program member or special incentive)
• Less than 5 per cent of hotels require all guest to pay for Wi-Fi.

TAA is often asked to comment on such issues and we consistently emphasise that provision of fast and secure wi-fi is very costly and that while some level of free access to wi-fi is desirable to allow basic email and social media connections, consumers looking to download or stream content-heavy files for business or entertainment should be expected to pay.