BOCA RATON, Florida—GFO Investments announced that The Gale South Beach, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel will be one of the first hotels in the United States to provide its guests with a 5G wireless private network enabled by CBRS spectrum. The network is a partnership with Airspan Networks Inc., a subsidiary of Airspan Networks Holdings Inc., a U.S.-based provider of software and hardware for 5G networks.
“This new technology will provide hotel guests with the fastest and most responsive digital connectivity available, impacting both guest engagement and hotel operations,” said Russell Galbut, chairman of GFO Investments. “Launching at The Gale South Beach will open new doors for hoteliers, enabling operators to revolutionize their offerings with new technology, both in-room and across hotel campuses.”
The private network solution will improve the hotel guest experience by providing indoor and outdoor voice and data coverage and hotspot capabilities on property. With the growth of video conferencing, 5G eliminates the typical problems related to virtual meetings. Additionally, hotel operators can streamline operations with communication between different systems. The technology allows for automated check-in and check-out procedures for Hilton Honors loyalty members, which cuts labor costs and eliminates lines for guests. With 5G, all systems are interconnected and communicate in real-time.
“The Gale South Beach has always strived for innovation by acquiring new technological advancements,” said Jared Galbut, president of Hospitality for GFO Investments. “The rooms already have contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls through Google Nest Hub and Volara. Now, with 5G technology, these in-room amenities can be unified and effortlessly controllable through apps using the new network. We plan to continually advance our technological amenities as the industry grows, providing our guests with the most cutting-edge offerings available.”
The CBRS network will cover the hotel property, both indoors and outdoors, offering 5G mobile coverage for guests visiting the hotel’s dining outlets, rooftop pool, public spaces and guestrooms. The hotel’s staff will benefit from having access to the network to provide hotel operations teams with voice and data applications including intranet and Internet access, Push to Talk (PTT) services, and video along with streaming services for hotel guests to use on their smartphones. The network is being deployed with radios placed throughout the hotel for coverage and performance for the hotel’s clientele and staff.
“This deployment is a great example of how 5G private network deployments using CBRS can and will transform the hospitality industry,” said Airspan Chairman and CEO Eric Stonestrom. “Airspan is a leader in 5G private network deployments, and we are proud to work with GFO Investments to provide this innovative network solution in one of the first CBRS deployments of its kind at a U.S. hotel.”
Citizens Broadband Radio Service, or CBRS, is a 150 MHz-wide slice of the radio airwaves set aside by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the deployment of 5G private networks, eliminating the need to acquire spectrum licenses.
