Marina Wifi: Why it Matters During Peak and Off-Peak Seasons

Nowadays, marinas aren’t just “docking” stations. Instead, they’re full-fledged communities offering comfort, security, and connectivity.

Therefore, whether peak summer weekends or quieter winter months, reliable Marina wifi can help create a positive experience for boat owners, families, and visitors. 

Why Do Marinas Need Quality Wifi?

1. Seamless Connectivity Is Now Expected

Many boat owners treat their boats like their second homes. What they do at home is what they expect to do in their boat. This includes using smart TVs, their telephones, and other digital devices.

Now, having quality marine wi-fi solutions is expected. This is what boaters want and need, and without question, they’ll choose docks that fulfill such needs over others that don’t.

2. More Devices = More Demand

A single boat may have ten or more devices—for example, a smartphone, navigation system, cameras, smart appliances, tablets, etc. 

Now, take this across 100 boats on a busy summer weekend. That’s a lot of devices. And if your system isn’t able to handle such demand during peak hours, that’s a lot of disappointed boaters. 

This can impact the experience significantly. In fact, so significant that they may never return to your dock.

3. Network Performance Impacts Reputation

In Hospitality, 56% of travelers say that reliable wi-fi is something they look out for when making a booking. 

Docks are much the same. Boaters want docks that have a good reputation regarding their network performance. 

Simply, the better the network experience, the better the reputation. The better the reputation, the higher the chance that you’ll get booked. 

4. Supports Remote Work and Streaming

Nowadays, there’s a decent number of individuals who choose the life of full-time marina living. 

A lot of these individuals even work from their boats. Therefore, for these people to want to stay long-term, you need a network that supports their lifestyle. 

Not only this, but if a marina's wifi can support remote work, it can also support excessive streaming. This is ideal for families docking at the marina. 

5. Powers Smart Marine Technology

Having a solid Marina wifi solution can impact the customer experience greatly. However, it can also impact the operation of the marina as well. 

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are entering the space. These include such things as water level sensors, electric metering, smart lighting, and remote boat monitoring. 

These tools, however, rely on strong, secure wireless connectivity. Without it, these IoT devices are ineffective. 

6. Enables Secure Access Controls

During off-peak seasons, manually providing access to the docks and specific dock areas is manageable. This can’t be said for peak seasons, though. It can quickly overwhelm staff, lowering the docking experience. 

With access controls, however, you can use key fobs/cards to grant or restrict access to certain docks, boatyards, and service buildings. All you need to do is program the card to the individual so they can only access certain areas of the property. 

How Beacon Builds Marine Wifi Networks Built for All Seasons 

We’ve helped Marina’s design and install wifi networks that are reliable and scalable since 2002. 

Site Surveys and Planning 

Our engineers start every marina wifi project by understanding your needs and mapping out the marina layout. This allows us to design a wifi network that offers the best signal propagation and coverage across the entire dock. 

Scalable Mesh Wifi Solutions

All of our marine wifi solutions are suitable for both off-season and peak periods. This ensures that your docks provide a quality connectivity experience year-round, regardless of how busy you are.

Monitoring and Technical Support 

Alongside the above, we continuously monitor your marina wifi system and provide technical support whenever you need it. This grants our customers complete peace of mind knowing their wifi will run stably all year. 

Contact Us 

It doesn’t matter if you want wifi installed or you require an upgrade, our team at Beacon is here to help. Contact us today and let’s survey your property and design a network solution for you and your needs.