Old School RV Parks Get A 21st Century Wi-Fi Upgrade

With operations spanning many parts of the US and Canada, Absolute Communications is a leading Telecom and network service provider that countless businesses rely on to keep their networks strong, connected, and secure.

For one central Texas client, Absolute Communications was the lifeline to help their business thrive during a challenging year of shifting national priorities amidst an unprecedented pandemic. Wi-Fi networks have long been considered a “nice to have” amenity for RV parks and campsites – largely catering to older and retired populations who did not have high demands on bandwidth.

But in 2020, that all changed. Read on to find out the challenges this customer faced, and how Absolute Communications and Cambium Networks provided an end-to-end solution that modernized an “old school” way of seeing the world, giving the client and their RV-traveling customers a powerful network they could rely on.

The Challenge

Guest Wi-Fi at this central Texas RV park was limited, to say the least – and with record growth over the last decade and the unique opportunities 2020’s unexpected “work-from-home” boom presented, the client needed to modernize quickly.

Right off the bat, Absolute Communications saw that the client had multiple design problems in the low-budget solution that had initially been set up to “get by for a while” on antennas and low-cost internet.

Tree density and an abundance of large RVs created a unique density challenge. Experiencing max speeds around 1-6 Mbps of internet, coupled with a spike in bookings and demand on their network, the client was suffering from speeds comparable to dial-up – around 0.25 Mbps.

Client Overview and Requrements

This central Texas RV park and campsite client was dealing with a period of rapid growth in the RV industry over the past ten years. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic created the conditions for even higher demand, as RV enthusiasts sent home to work remotely suddenly began to look for opportunities to balance work and travel for the first time ever.

For RV parks and campsites, just like a hotel, customer experience is extremely important for repeat business, high ratings and positive social media feedback. An updated solution was needed to help elevate guest experience and accomplish all the client’s objectives within budget. The must-haves:

• A high-speed broadband solution to help the client confidently host more, younger, and remote working guests and their families – while utilizing the network more than ever before
• A solution that added value and increased customer satisfaction with Wi-Fi, leading to better reviews and improved online reputation
• A Wi-Fi network that was built to address density challenges with tree cover and other RVs while connecting the most remote areas of the park
• Measurable ROI and pay off of the client’s investment by monetizing services
• A network built to handle traffic at peak times and during peak bookings

The RV Park of the Future – with Cambium Networks Powering the Entire Solution

Absolute Communications called in Cambium Networks, a leader in outdoor connectivity, to partner on providing a 100% Cambium solution that would rival the connection speeds seen in five-star hotels and enterprise campus environments – in other words, the RV park of the future.

The first step was to analyze bookings at the park, what age groups were most likely to stay there, and the physical environment where density was a common issue. For this particular site, 100-200 Mbps of internet was the ideal, with some areas surpassing that based on less tree cover, more space between RV stalls, and other factors. The final goal was clear: Absolute Communications and Cambium Networks would work together to provide this outdoorsy setting with a Wi-Fi network that rivaled enterprise campuses and boutique hotels.

The first step was the hardest – running fiber optics throughout the park. Once installed, Absolute Communications connected each AP to the fiber at 1 Gbps. This maximizes the total network throughput for guests connected to Wi-Fi.

For a model of how the solution would go into place, Absolute used an install they did for a similarly sized development, in which they conducted all construction, trenching, conduit placement, and fiber installation. One area this benefitted the client? Cost savings. By using the existing model, with some adjustments for density challenges and less space between RV spots, Absolute was able to offer this solution to the client at a savings of more than 50% of what a brand-new park would require.

After the network was up and running, Absolute Communications took the step of managing the network for the RV park – with a seamless response for Wi-Fi outages and other incidents that could arise. This made the solution completely turn-key for this central Texas vacation destination.

An RV Park for the Next Generation

Absolute’s Texas RV park modernization left the client with a 100% updated, scalable solution that will immediately improve guest experience and customer satisfaction as the growth of the RV market expands and remote working allows more RV enthusiasts to hit the road.

This maximized Wi-Fi network powers everything, from the way individual campers experience network speeds while streaming television, music, and video, to how well the network accommodates more customers accessing virtual meetings and video conferencing while working remotely. Beyond that, the new network propels commercial activity and amenities around the park – including credit card machines and background music in some areas of the park – and monitoring parts of the park systems, such as water and gas.

Finally, the client has been able to move forward knowing that their investment in this Wi-Fi modernization opened the door for monetizing services and creating a measurable stream of income that will quickly pay for the initial investment they made. And the client won’t even need to create a homegrown system for monetizing services. They can utilize any number of proprietary service plans created especially by Absolute Communications for that very reason. With daily or weekly plans already outlined and priced, from free to premium, Absolute provides a reliable path forward to additional revenue and clear ROI.