Breezy Point Resort
Wi-Fi Solution to provide seamless Access throughout the resort
Executive Summary
Breezy Point Resort, located just northwest of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, offers an escape for those that want to vacation and celebrate in nature. Their remote location and proximity to multiple waterfronts makes it difficult to provide internet access using traditional wireline methods. Breezy Point is utilizing Billion’s OneZone Managed Wi-Fi Solution to provide seamless Access throughout the resort.
The Customer
Breezy Point Resort is a full-service, year-round resort on Pelican Lake in the heart of the Brainerd, Minnesota, resort country. Established in 1922, Breezy Point has a rich history and has grown to include 250 rooms, cabins and condos, two 18-hole golf courses, a complete marina, and three restaurants. From golfing to conferences and weddings, the Minnesota resort nestled on Pelican Lake has a wide variety of options for any vacationer’s needs.
Breezy Point facilities are meticulously maintained with plenty of amenities to ensure visitors feel at home and have everything they need for the best vacation possible. One critical amenity is Wi-Fi access, which is no surprise as travellers increasingly desire connectivity for both leisure and business travel.
Challenges
Breezy Points customers come to the vacation destination to enjoy the remote beauty of nature.
While being away from the constant connection to the city is appealing to some, others find themselves in need of connection to keep them relaxed during their getaway. Breezy Point’s remote location limits the available connection options. While copper service is available for traditional landlines, providing DSL internet over that existing copper wire is not reliable due to the condition and physical distance from the central office. Wireline options such as cable infrastructure and fiber are not present nor economically feasible.
Breeze Point already provides Satellite TV and naturally considered Satellite internet; however, it was deemed unsuitable due to cost, performance and susceptibility to connection loss in adverse weather conditions. Staffers noticed visitors using cellular Mi-Fi devices and later discovered that T-Mobile’s footprint provides substantial coverage. The decision was made to investigate cellular connectivity solutions for broadband connectivity along with the local guest hotspot/Wi-Fi connectivity. Thus, Breezy Point turned to Billion’s OneZone Managed Wi-Fi solution.
How Product Helped
Billion OneZone Managed Wi-Fi solution is an industry First, combining the latest generation of mobile wireless and Wi-Fi technologies into a single platform. OneZone integrates 4G/LTE Advanced with carrier aggregation, Dual Band 802.11ac Wave 2 WLAN, and Hotspot and Captive Portal functionality and cloud-based management via Billioncentral®. Purpose-built for challenging/rugged deployments, the solution is IP-67 rated and designed to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, including wind, rain, and the notorious Minnesota winters.
The lightweight, unobtrusive design with multiple mounting options supports fast deployment and the advanced MIMO antenna technology ensures high performance in LOS (Line of Sight) and NLOS (Non-Line of Sight) locations thus allowing Breezy Point to focus on placement for optimal WLAN coverage and overlap. Billion’s OneZone directly addresses Breezy Point’s lack or a wireline alternative for internet connectivity and enable support for the #1 requested amenity amongst their visitors, Wi-Fi Access.
After initially testing in a single location, the staff were immediately impressed with the service’s quality, speed, and reliability. The deployment of has grown to 22 units throughout the resort, blanketing the area with multiple hotspots for optimal WLAN coverage.
Results
Ultimately, this has resulted in an immediate return on investment. Breezy now offers tiered Wi-Fi services, complimentary Guest Wi-Fi sufficient for email and basic browsing and a premium (paid) connection for high-speed internet and streaming. Additionally, the Captive Portal supports advertisements allowing Breezy Point to sell space to partners and other local vendors.
Conclusion
Billion OneZone Managed Wi-Fi proved to be the right solution for Breezy Point. In addition, by providing secure, high-performance, reliable Internet connectivity over T-Mobile’s cellular network, the solution enables a host of local applications and new revenue-generating services.
BiPAC 4700AZ
LTE Outdoor Router with Carrier-Grade Dual-Band Wi-Fi Hotspot
> LTE SIM embedded
> Dual-WAN ports -LTE and Gigabit Ethernet WAN (EWAN) for
broadband Failover backup connectivity
> 1 x Gigabit LAN and 1 x Gigabit WAN
> Wireless 802.11 b/g/n 300Mbps @2.4GHz
Wireless 802.11 a/n/ac 1700Mbps @5GHz
> MIMO antenna for maximum bandwidth and service coverage
* Embedded directional & Optimize antenna design per band
> Lightweight and compact design
* Easily installed by single person
* Supports Power over Ethernet (PoE)
> RF design technology
* Dual-polarization antenna technology ensures faster and
efficient bi-directional transmission
> Designed for challenging/rugged deployments
* IP67 hardened enclosure with industrial-grade components
* Operating temperature: -40°C to 60°C (-40°F to 140°F)
> Support Billion Central Management System
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