The Midland Hotel embraces full-fibre connectivity

One of the top hotels in the heart of Bradford is the latest business to benefit from full-fibre connectivity thanks to alternative infrastructure provider, CityFibre and Internet Service Provider Exa Networks. The Midland Hotel is one of Bradford’s flagship buildings and remains a celebrated testament to the architectural achievements of the Victorian era. The current owners, Peel Hotels, have invested heavily in restoring the hotel to its original glory and in more recent times, this has included upgrading the digital connectivity of the building bringing the hotel into the 21^st century by connecting to the Bradford’s Gigabit City network. For any busy hotel competing with a number of other city centre accommodation providers, an ultrafast, reliable internet connection is essential in today’s digital age. Guests now expect connectivity at least as fast as what they enjoy at home, so providing a robust WiFi service can be a deal breaker for many potential customers. With 11 exclusive conference and event spaces, The Midland Hotel is a popular choice for corporate and social functions and is currently the only hotel in Bradford connected to the Gigabit City Bradford network and offering ultrafast internet connectivity for conference and residential guests. Gary Peacock, General Manager at The Midland Hotel, said: “We needed an internet connection that would meet our guests’ needs and Exa’s DarkLight service has provided the perfect solution. We’ve gone from using three separate connections capable of around 12Mbps each, to one which delivers 300Mbps and are the only hotel in Bradford currently offering DarkLight for our conferences and residential guests” Jason Petrou-Brown, Senior Business Development Manager at CityFibre, said: “Full-fibre gigabit connectivity has reached Bradford and is undoubtedly helping to drive growth, productivity and innovation in the city. There is great demand for this level of infrastructure and connectivity in the UK and Bradford businesses are in prime position to take advantage of gigabit speeds and start benefiting - now. “Business expansion, new start-ups, e-learning in schools and universities, accelerated job creation, skills development and innovation are just some of the growth factors Bradford can expect since gigabit speed full-fibre connectivity has become a reality. The Midland Hotel is a great example of a traditional building embracing the digital revolution to meet the needs of its customers.” CityFibre opened the Bradford Gigabit City network in 2016, offering businesses the chance to connect to a high capacity, full-fibre network via partner and internet service provider, Exa Networks, as part of the ongoing transformation of the city’s digital infrastructure. After the success of the upgraded connection, Peel Hotels have since ordered Exa’s DarkLight service over the Gigabit City network for another of its hotels in the region. Mark Cowgill, Co-Founder at Exa Networks, commented: “Having ultrafast and reliable broadband is a must for any business these days, but particularly for those operating in the hospitality sector experiencing greater demand for fast, secure WiFi from visitors and guests. We look forward to connecting even more businesses from a range of sectors in the very near future.” For more information about CityFibre and Bradford’s Gigabit City project, visit: www.cityfibre.com/bradford