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Do UK Trains Have the Slowest Wi-Fi Speeds in Europe?

It has been found that trains in the United Kingdom deliver some of the slowest internet speeds across Europe. 

Ookla, the network testing company, analysed the Wi-Fi performance onboard train services across Europe and some Asian rail networks using their favoured service Speedtest.net by collecting data via consumers themselves. Results suggested that the UK does indeed deliver some of the slowest Wi-Fi speeds available on trains in Europe.  

If you’ve ever tried to work on your train commute or while away the time by streaming a show using train Wi-Fi then you will likely already know that Wi-Fi quality across UK rail operators and networks is not particularly strong, consistent or reliable. 

What Are the UK Government’s Plans for Rail Network Connectivity Improvements?

Back in 2017 the government at the time pledged to improve connectivity on mainline train routes by this year, with the aim to provide Wi-Fi and mobile speeds (5G) of up to 1 Gbps. While this may be true of a few rail operators, for most this outcome has not been reached. 

This issue has recently been revisited by the current government as part of their Infrastructure Strategy for the next 10 years, which was published back in June. This strategy includes a commitment of £41m to “introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, significantly improving both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers“. However, there doesn’t seem to be a clear date as to when this will be delivered.

Which Country in Europe Has the Best Onboard Wi-Fi When Travelling by Train?

According to the data collected by Ookla, there seems to be quite a gap between the best European train operators for onboard Wi-Fi performance and the worst. 

From data taken during the second quarter of 2025, the countries with the top 3 fastest onboard train Wi-Fi were Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland in terms of the median average download speed (64.58 Mbps, 29.79 Mbps and 26.33 Mbps respectively. 

At the other end of the scale, with the slowest on board speeds were Spain, the UK and last of all the Netherlands with median average download speeds of 1.45 Mbps, 1.09 Mbps and 0.41 Mbps respectively. 

So while the UK doesn’t have the absolute slowest onboard train Wi-Fi in Europe, it wasn’t far off. 

The countries with the best upload speeds were similar. You can see how other European countries fared in the graph imagery below for both download and upload speeds, with thanks from Speedest Intelligence. 

Will the UK Rail Network Catch Up With Current Wi-Fi Standards?

If you’re a regular reader of our Geekabit blog, you’ll have seen us talking about Wi-Fi 8 and the advancements this new Wi-Fi standard will be making when it arrives.  

Unfortunately, many rail operators aren’t up to date with Wi-Fi standards and are still using Wi-Fi 4 based connectivity which could be a big part of the problem. Not only this, but 38% are also still using the 2.4 GHz band which is the slowest and most congested. 

Interestingly however, even countries who are embracing more modern Wi-Fi options like using the 5 GHz band are also still underperforming on speed (this can be seen in the likes of Spain and Italy’s speed scores). This could be due to poor satellite or trackside infrastructure causing a lack of pace in backhaul capacity. This is a key factor for onboard performance. 

What Are The Key Factors Affecting Onboard Rail Wi-Fi Speeds?

There seem to be many contributing factors to what causes issues with Wi-Fi speeds across European and Asian rail networks. These include:

  • Construction materials used in train carries
  • Onboard network design
  • Political leadership and policy
  • Adoption of satellite broadband connectivity from LEO satellites

Whilst it’s great that the UK has listed Low Earth Orbit satellites in their Infrastructure Strategy as part of improving connectivity on rail networks, it’s still not going to improve Wi-Fi in tunnels!

You can read the full report from Ookla in much more detail here.

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Could Technical Jargon Be Confusing Consumers When It Comes to Buying Internet Services?

What do you call the network in your household or business? 

Are there shrieks of ‘Muuuum is the Wi-Fi down?’ or perhaps partners asking ‘What’s going on with the broadband babe?’ 

Or if you’re the boss of a SME, maybe you’ve got employees interrupting your meetings asking why the internet is lagging. 

What’s the most popular name for internet connections? 

Broadband Internet Service Provider TalkTalk engaged Axicom to commission a new online survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by OnePoll. The survey claims to find that the most popular name for home internet connections is Wi-Fi. 

A third of respondents said they describe their internet connection using the term Wi-Fi, with ‘broadband’ and ‘internet’ coming in second and third place respectively. 

The survey also quizzed respondents on their understanding of different wireless technology terms, with 76% of those asked saying they ‘confidently understand’ the term Wi-Fi. 

Less confidently understood was ‘fibre’ with only half of the respondents confident with their understanding of its meaning. Interestingly, ‘fibre’ is often a term flung around by telecoms companies to describe their broadband products and services, which begs the question – Do consumers actually understand what they are being sold? 

Do Consumers Understand the Internet Products and Services Being Sold to Them?

The results to this particular survey would suggest the answer is unfortunately no, with 69% of respondents admitting that technology-related jargon is difficult to understand. 

Perhaps then, the aim of this most recent online survey was to gather information on how ISP TalkTalk can market their products and internet services to potential customers – Both business and residential. 

If consumers are not understanding terms like ‘fibre’ then perhaps the focus on the term ‘Wi-Fi’ instead will increase understanding and thus sales. It does seem to be the renewed focus of their recent brand refresh, despite the technical terminology not being entirely correct. 

Does this therefore reinforce a misconception around the understanding of technical internet terminology, rather than provide an accurate explanation? 

What is your understanding of some of the terms used in the survey? You can see a breakdown of the most understood terminology below, given in percentages. 

There seems to be a healthy understanding of the terms Wi-Fi, Wireless, Router and IP Address. Those less understood were concepts like Latency, FTTP/FTTC, Mesh, PSTN and LLU. 

What Do TalkTalk Have to Say?

The Product and Propositions Director for TalkTalk shared the companies thoughts on their recent survey and how the results are influencing how they talk to their customers in order to ensure the best understanding of their services and products. 

“Wi-Fi is a staple in all our homes, yet as an industry we haven’t kept up with the times when we talk to our customers. At TalkTalk, we’re shifting to talk about Wi-Fi more and more, as it’s the connectivity – making sure streaming or browsing is seamless – that matters most for our millions of customers.

Our latest research tells us that people prefer to communicate in the same way that they speak, without jargon, and our industry should reflect that. We know we’re not perfect, and we have much to do, but this is the first step in delivering a Better Way to Wi-Fi for customers who just want transparency and information they can confidently understand. And this builds trust between us and our customers too.”

What Does Wi-Fi Mean to You?

Whilst the term Wi-Fi might still feel like technical jargon to some, most homes and businesses use Wi-Fi to describe a WLAN, or Wireless Local Area Network connection that originates from a router that distributes the broadband internet connection from your Internet Service Provider. 

Wi-Fi and Broadband are not the same thing, but consumers seem to be regularly using the term ‘Wi-Fi’ to loosely apply to their wireless internet connection as a whole. 

When this starts to run into difficulties is when an issue arises. Someone shouts ‘The Wi-Fi’s gone down!’ – What’s the problem? It could be that the router is faulty and not transmitting a signal to user devices. In this instance, the actual broadband connection coming from outside the property could be completely fine – It’s only the transmission of the signal that has the issue. 

Likewise, the router could be transmitting a signal to end users and their devices remain connected, but conference calls aren’t connecting. The problem isn’t the hardware, but the actual broadband connection coming from the ISP. 

2 very different problems but both labelled as a ‘Wi-Fi’ problem.

Do You Get Lost in Technical Internet Jargon? 

If you need reliable Wi-Fi for your business but find it hard to follow all the terminology, then don’t worry. Not everyone can be Wi-Fi Experts! Thankfully the wireless engineers here at Geekabit have all the knowledge and expertise needed to navigate your network and get you the best wireless connection for your premises. 

Get in touch with our Hampshire, Cardiff or London based teams today to see how we can help. 

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Broadband Verification Scheme Launched by Ookla

Have you ever arrived at a conference, sporting event or hotel only to be greeted by a frustratingly slow internet connection? Whether you are trying to access work emails, share a clip of an amazing goal or just laze in your room binge watching your favourite show on your smartphone, we’ve all felt that frustration at a sinfully slow connection. 

If only you could check a venue’s connection quality before you book…

Ookla, a network testing business which collects consumer data through their popular broadband testing service Speedtest.net, launched a new Speedtest Certified™ scheme last week. 

The thinking behind this new scheme is to be able to offer people and businesses verification on ‘superior connectivity.’ Think places like hotels, stadiums, event venues, office buildings, and airports. 

As a consumer, you want to know these venues are going to be able to offer an excellent connection while you are visiting. As a business, you want to be able to offer verification of that excellent connection before they’ve even arrived. 

How Can You Prove to Customers that Your Business Offers Superior Connectivity?

As a business owner, you may be one of the many properties identified by Ookla who are keen to prove their connectivity to their potential customers, demonstrating their readiness to meet everyone’s connectivity expectations and needs. 

This new service from Ookla, Speedtest Certified™, is designed to give businesses the proof they need.

The newly launched program aims to provide a “trusted badge of excellence“ to venues like hotels, stadiums, airports, event venues and office buildings. Based on Ookla’s globally recognised reputation for mobile and broadband performance measurements, this verification of excellent broadband and connectivity will help businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and show how committed they are to aiding their customers’ digital experiences. 

How Will Speedtest Certified™ from Ookla Deliver This Verification Scheme?

The entire approach will be data-driven, enabling the provision of comprehensive and objective assessment of a venues network. The following key variables will be measured:

  • The quality of Wi-Fi radio frequency (RF) 
  • Wi-Fi network configuration
  • Wi-Fi network security assessment
  • Network performance metrics
  • ISP backhaul

If you’ve trusted Ookla’s popular Speedtest platform to manage your own connectivity, then you’ll likely be excited at the prospect of knowing just how good the internet connection will be, BEFORE you arrive at an event or hotel. In the words of Stephen Bye (President and CEO of Ookla, Ziff Davis Division) the new Speedtest Certified™ scheme will give you ‘a seal of approval you can count on’ when it comes to reliable connectivity. 

5 Star Rating for Internet Speed

Properties that meet or exceed the rigorous standards of Ookla’s Speedtest Certified™ will earn themselves a high-value certification backed by the trusted Speedtest name. This trusted Badge of Excellence will give them a star rating out of 5 for speed and will be valid for 1 year, after which the venue must be re-certified to ensure they still meet the necessary connectivity standards to keep that status. 

Not only will they be able to share their Speedtest badge of honour for superior connectivity, businesses will also have access to Ookla’s Speedtest Certified Digital Platform. Here they will be able to:

  • Access personal insights
  • Benchmark performance against other Speedtest Certified Networks
  • Receive targeted recommendations for improvements

Can We Expect the Same for Mobile Connectivity?

The initial Phase One launch is aimed at Wi-Fi connectivity and performance inside properties such as the ones mentioned above. 

Phase Two of this programme will look at assessing cellular performance testing in terms of 4G/5G mobile. It’s likely we’ll see this rolled out in the coming months. 

What if Your Business Wi-Fi Isn’t Up To Standard?

This new Speedtest Certified™ scheme launched by Ookla is great – If your business or event venue has the superior connectivity that the standards insist upon. 

What if your internet speed star rating falls short and your venue’s connectivity doesn’t meet the required standards? 

There is always something that can be done to improve your Wi-Fi network and connectivity for customers. 

If your business struggles with slow Wi-Fi, an unreliable connection or any other Wi-Fi issues, then our Wi-Fi Experts here at Geekabit can help. 

Whilst you’re probably tearing your hair out with frustration, we actually love Wi-Fi problems like slow speeds, Wi-Fi dead spots or users unable to connect – Because we know what a huge difference we will be able to make to you and your business. 

Using globally renowned specialist measuring and testing equipment, we can get to the root of the problem. Though Wi-Fi Site Surveys, Planning & Design and Wi-Fi Installation we can get your business’ connectivity working just as it should be. 

We’ve helped hotels, warehouses, corporate offices and stadiums to name just a few. We can also help with event Wi-Fi! 

So don’t put up with dodgy Wi-Fi any longer – It’s time to call in the experts. Contact Geekabit today. 

Imagery used with thanks from https://www.ookla.com/speedtest-certified

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Wi-Fi 8 – The Smarter, More Stable Wi-Fi Standard

Can Wi-Fi 8 bring the stability of a wired network to wireless? Let’s look at handovers, coordination between wireless technologies, and the influence of AI.

Based on the upcoming 802.11bn standard, Wi-Fi 8 is purported to be smarter and more stable than it’s Wi-Fi 7 predecessor, instead of merely faster.

According to an announcement by Qualcomm, Wi-Fi 8 will respond to new needs in both home networks and business by focusing on reliability and consistency, even in poorer conditions. 

Qualcomm’s Vice President of Technical Standards Rolf De Vegt said;

“Wi-Fi 8 marks a fundamental pivot — moving beyond peak speeds to prioritize reliable performance in challenging real-world conditions. It’s designed to deliver consistent, low-latency and near-lossless connectivity even in highly congested, interference-prone and mobile environments.” 

Whilst the main design feature of Wi-Fi 7 is to maximize speed and bandwidth, Wi-Fi 8 will focus on stability of performance. In lab conditions, there were impressive results for Wi-Fi 7 speeds, however this is harder to replicate in reality within everyday environments like office buildings and residential areas. Wi-Fi 8 will provide stability even when faced with congestion, interference or multiple devices moving in real world environments.  

According to Qualcomm, Wi-Fi 8 plans to offer:

  • 25% higher throughput in challenging signal conditions such as blocks of flats
  • 25% lower latency at the 95th percentile of latency distribution
  • 25% fewer dropped packets when roaming between access points

Handover, What Handover?

Wi-Fi 8 will see the wonders of Single Mobility Domains. Traditionally, small interruptions during the handover process between access points are completely normal happenings. A major innovation of Wi-Fi 8 will mean that devices will be able to move between access points without any interruption or lag. Just imagine – Continuous, uninterrupted connectivity as you move throughout domains within a multi-storey office or large buildings where users (and their devices) are always moving around. 

Previous standards saw the edges of a network as a weak spot. Wi-Fi 8 will also bring improvements to this area. Technical adjustments in the optimisation of the physical layer of the protocol means that Wi-Fi 8 doesn’t just increase transmission power, leading to more stable performance even at low signal strength. 

Another improvement will see access points working together rather than separately. Wi-Fi 8 will enable the coordination of behaviour and sharing of information between access points in a network. This will help to reduce conflict on the radio frequencies and improve the efficiency of transmission time. Thus, Wi-Fi 8 will bring a smoother network environment for places with many users and devices for example, stadiums, schools or blocks of flats. 

Better Coordination Between Wireless Technologies

Research is being conducted to look at how radio systems such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and ultra-wideband can work better together instead of causing interference. The use of multiple wireless technologies by a single device simultaneously (devices using a single antenna for multiple radios) is becoming more prevalent, making the need for better coordination between the technologies vital. 

Prevalence of AI Leading Wi-Fi 8 to Focus on Stability Instead of Speed

AI is placing a huge raw demand on networks, especially in terms of reliability and latency. 

We’re seeing an increase in prevalence of wearable AI, smart device embedded AI and autonomous AI. In order for AI systems to work effectively, they need to be able to pull from access edge or cloud based systems in near real time, making reliable connectivity vital.

The current Wi-Fi standard is struggling to support the abundance of AI use in everyday life. These struggles aren’t anything new – The ever increasing use of personal devices using wireless connectivity has been putting a strain on Wi-Fi networks for a while. 

With the evolution of smart homes, the size and scope of our networks has needed to expand quickly in order to support the number of devices used in our houses.Indeed, larger homes are requiring enterprise-grade networks in order to meet the level of connectivity people expect. 

Wi-Fi 8 and Medical Monitoring Devices

AI garners much of the attention when discussing Wi-Fi 8 and the need for stability over speed, however there is another prevailing need increasing in our homes and that is medical monitoring devices. 

Doctors are starting to rely on patients self-monitoring from home more and more. For the health of non-critical patients, these home-based options are a real life-line. Doctors can keep tabs on patients without the need for them to visit the practice as regularly. 

This is yet another area where network reliability and response time is imperative to enable doctors to communicate with patients via their home network, especially in potentially life-threatening situations. 

Will Wi-Fi 8 Bring the Stability of Wired to our Wireless Networks?

In the press release, De Vegt writes that they want Wi-Fi 8 to bring wireless networks closer to having the same reliability and responsiveness of wired infrastructure. Whether or not Wi-Fi 8 manages to get close to that ambitious aim we’ll have to wait and see. 

The Wi-Fi 8 standard is expected to be finalised in January 2028, so there’s still a little while to wait. You can read the full press release from Qualcomm here.  

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What Does Wi-Fi 8 Have to Offer?

The short answer is Wi-Fi 8 UHR (Ultra High Reliability) is being designed to deliver:

  • Longer range
  • Better reliability
  • Improved performance
  • More security

For the first time in almost 30 years, the latest standard of Wi-Fi to be released (Wi-Fi 8) will not be arriving with an increase in speed, like the standards that have come before. 

Based on the forthcoming IEEE 802.11bn standard, this next generation of Wi-Fi will instead be touting Ultra High Reliability (it’s in the name). It’s expected to start certification at the start of 2028. 

This change from speed to reliability shows a strategic shift from merely chasing throughput, to delivering dependable, consistent connectivity to environments dense with devices. 

Wi-Fi 8 UHR Designed with User Experience in Mind 

It sounds rather obvious, but the main focus with next-generation technology needs to be the end user and their experience. 

In everyday life we use applications constantly, the majority sensitive to latency. We need things to work in real-time in a responsive and reliable way. 

This ‘always-on’ approach to connectivity has crept forward in importance over an increase of 1 or 2 Gbps. 

What’s the use of speed if the reliability isn’t there to back it up? Wi-Fi 8 is all about making the best use of Wi-Fi. 

Certification for Wi-Fi 7 Has Begun

If you’re sitting there thinking, wait a minute, we’re chatting about Wi-Fi 8 but have we even got Wi-Fi 7 yet? Well, no. At the start of this year back in January, Wi-Fi 7 began its certification process. 

In theoretical terms, Wi-Fi 7 can offer:

  • Peak downlink speed of 46 Gbps using 16 spatial streams
  • 320 megahertz channels in 6 GHz bands
  • 4096 QAM
  • Support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO)

Wi-Fi 8 will then follow this up by introducing new capabilities that are not optimised for peak speed. Instead, the new Wi-Fi 8 standard will focus on overcoming alternative obstacles to good Wi-Fi, like environments with jitter, interference, and range issues. 

Where Will Wi-Fi 8 Have the Highest Impact? 

As well as speed, the new Wi-Fi 8 standard will focus on being consistent and predictable with seamless performance for scenarios with multiple devices and multiple access points.

This will make Wi-Fi 8 most impactful for things like:

  • Extended reality
  • Cloud-based gaming
  • Industrial automation
  • Real-time communications

Thus, the scope for a big impact is huge. 

The Evolution of Wi-Fi 7 to Wi-Fi 8

Moving from Wi-Fi 7 to Wi-Fi 8 will be less of an abrupt departure from one standard to another, but instead an evolution of technology. In many ways. So how will Wi-Fi 8 deliver Ultra High Reliability? 

Let’s have a look at the main upgrades in architecture we’ll see from Wi-Fi 8 UHR. 

Range

There will be longer range and higher speeds at a given range with Wi-Fi 8. 

  • Signal resilience across longer distances will be brought by Enhanced Long Range (ELR) optimisations. 
  • APs will be able to transmit higher speeds at any given range through unequal modulations. 
  • Distributed Resource Unit (DRU) technology improves range by spreading resource units across a wider channel bandwidth enabling higher transmit powers.

Interference Management

There will be smarter coordination through Coordinated Spatial Reuse (Co-SR) and Coordinated Beamforming (Co-BF). 

  • This allows interference to be managed through mesh nodes and APs while sharing spectrum. 
  • Seamless roaming through Muilti-APs, ensuring better device handoff between APs without degradation providing a smoother user experience.

Improved Error Correction

Improved error correction and roaming will improve reliability. 

  • Error correction at range and in noisy environments is enhanced with Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding. 
  • Higher speeds at a given distance are possible with more Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) options, providing more granular rate selection and more precise matching to real-time signal conditions.

Adaptive Channel Access

Adaptive channel access and smarter spectrum use will help improve throughput and reduce bandwidth waste. 

  • APs can dynamically assign sub-channels to different clients based on changing situational conditions via Dynamic Sub-Channel Operation (DS). 
  • Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) enables data transmission on side channels when the primary channel is congested. 
  • DSO and NPCA respectively reduce bandwidth waste and improve effective throughput.

Stronger Security

Malicious actions that could potentially disrupt Wi-Fi based services and jeopardise user security like jamming or spoofing can be prevented via Wi-Fi authentication and management frames being encrypted.

Wi-Fi 8: Reliability Over Speed?

Obviously as Wi-Fi users we want speed. We want, and have come to expect, a fast connection wherever we are, whether it’s for work or leisure time. But actually – What’s the point of having that theoretical speed sitting there, if the connection isn’t reliable? How frustrating is it to have that video call freeze or the internet drop out at a crucial part of an online game? 

Reliability is key – It’s what users in real life want and need. Previous Wi-Fi generations have been all about speed so we’ve got that box ticked already, but what Wi-Fi 8 brings is what people need for the way we use our devices – Ultra High Reliability. 

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Geekabit Deploys Wi-Fi Solution to New Gastropub in Historic Space in Farnham, Surrey

This week on the blog we’re excited to share the completion of a recent Wi-Fi project for a client over in Farnham, Surrey. 

Find out how our Wi-Fi engineering experts helped to transform this remarkable historic space into a well-connected Gastropub.

The Venue

Third Monkey is a new Gastropub, Restaurant and Cocktail Bar providing high-end hospitality and fun family dining in the heart of Farnham. 

The historic building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the late 1800’s and whilst much of his original architecture will remain, the updated premises will boast 2 floors of buzzing atmosphere plus a roof terrace. 

The building has been used as The South Street Social Club in recent years, formerly known as the Liberal Club, but closed back in 2023 due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic as well as other factors. 

Now under new owners, Third Monkey and its Executive Chef are breathing new life into this notable building, bringing with it ‘refined yet relaxed’ vibes through its welcoming Gastropub on the ground floor, and a more elevated dining experience in the Restaurant and Cocktail Bar upstairs. And let’s not forget the Rooftop Terrace complete with weekend DJ’s providing a late-night destination venue for Surrey’s most sought-after town. 

You can find this exciting new venue at 46 South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7RP.

Expert Wi-Fi Solution for Historic Premises Turned Gastropub

Wi-Fi Site Survey

As with all new Wi-Fi projects, we started with a Wi-Fi Survey. This is Geekabit’s key tool in analysing the performance of your network and helping to diagnose issues. 

As you can imagine, a historic building built in the 1800’s isn’t going to have been designed with Wi-Fi in mind! Unlike modern constructions, this type of building can present unique challenges for signal penetration and Wi-Fi infrastructure installation. Therefore, carrying out a thorough Wi-Fi site survey is vital.

Upon visiting, it was clear that the Third Monkey, was a completely fresh and new fit-out –
and we could get involved at the earliest stages to ensure that the possibilities for Wi-Fi
access point placement could work with the new building materials being used.

In this instance for Third Monkey, we used the information gathered during the Wi-Fi Site Survey to advise on the necessary networking equipment required as well as Fibre WAN providers. 

Wi-Fi Installation

Whilst some may think that installing Wi-Fi isn’t much more than sticking a box on the ceiling and plugging it in, there is actually a great deal more thought and expertise that goes into it if you want a successful Wi-Fi network. 

There’s little point in carrying out a Wi-Fi Site Survey to identify how to equip a historic building such as this with robust internet connectivity, if you’re not going to follow it up with expert installation.

For Third Monkey, Geekabit completed a full Wi-Fi Installation using one of our favoured brands Ubiquiti Wi-Fi and Ubiquiti network equipment. 

This Wi-Fi network deployment included:

  • Full data network installation
  • Network design
  • Data network cabinet installation
  • Termination of Cat 6 ethernet cabling
  • Setting up of network security devices
  • Commissioning of equipment, Wi-Fi configuration and optimisation, and post-installation Wi-Fi Site Survey

A big part of any Wi-Fi Installation also involves effectively co-ordinating with other suppliers and installers to enhance network efficiency and security. 

Of course, we round off any Wi-Fi deployment right back where we started – With a Wi-Fi Site Survey. This ensures we leave our clients with their optimum Wi-Fi network.

Our Wi-Fi engineers are also on hand to provide ongoing Network Support, Wi-Fi Management and Wi-Fi Guest Portal services. Another benefit of bringing in the expertise and knowledge of a Wi-Fi professional. 

Why Robust Wi-Fi is a Must for Hospitality Businesses

Despite the potential complexities that using a historic building for a modern use can have, this project shows that the two can indeed go hand-in-hand. 

We know how vital it is for hospitality businesses to have reliable Wi-Fi. A strong wireless network is not only essential for operational efficiency (ie. supporting POS systems and internal communications) but also in enhancing customer experience through Guest Wi-Fi. 

This particular hospitality venue is striving for a refined yet relaxed atmosphere, offering diverse customer experiences from casual dining to a late-night rooftop terrace. For this venue and others, seamless Wi-Fi connectivity underpins the ability to deliver high-quality service and attract a contemporary clientele, ultimately contributing to its success and reputation.

This Wi-Fi installation for Third Monkey demonstrates perfectly how you can take the charm of a historic building and bring it up to date with the modern amenities we come to expect from a high-end venue. Strong, reliable Wi-Fi is a must. 

Steve Cross, Director at Geekabit, comments: 

“We’ve been impressed by the team at the Third Monkey, who have been passionate advocates for ensuring they work with specialists in each field to create a high quality fit-out and venue that really raises the concept of the gastropub and restaurant. From an initial site survey visit, through to the entire Wi-Fi and network installation, we’ve been able to support the transformation of an historic space into a great addition to the Surrey town of Farnham.”

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Broadband Performance: A Must-Have for Estate Agents to Showcase Dream Properties

A recent survey highlights the critical importance for estate agents to offer broadband performance reports when marketing properties, particularly “dream property” offerings.

Recent research suggests that Estate Agents should be focusing on providing home buyers with broadband performance reports if they want to meet the criteria of buyers dream homes. 

The top ranked factor for the ‘dream home’ wish list when looking for a new property was reliable internet.

UK based platform Compare My Move assists home buyers, sellers, landlords and movers with the whole property buying process. They commissioned research with Front Door Comms and OnePoll, creating an online survey of 2,000 adults based in the UK, naturally representative of age, gender and region. 

62% Brits Looking for Decent Wi-Fi When Looking at a Potential New Property

The survey found that 62% of survey respondents put decent Wi-Fi as the number one feature they would want in their realistic dream property. Strong Wi-Fi came above a private driveway and a walk-in wardrobe. 

This would appear to highlight a shift away from fancy frills, instead favouring functional living and everyday essentials when looking for a new property. 

If you’ve ever had your internet go down for a significant length of time then you’ll know how much you rely on that connection. From the obvious things like logging onto your laptop to work from home, to the more taken for granted things like asking Alexa for a timer whilst cooking dinner or trying to listen to music – Having no Wi-Fi is excruciatingly frustrating. 

Since the pandemic when the UK was plunged into the world of working from home and home learning, Estate Agents have seen a dramatic increase in questions about reliable broadband when prospective buyers are looking at new property. 

So it’s little wonder that prospective home buyers want to know exactly what kind of broadband connection they could expect from a potential new home – And if Estate Agents want to make a sale, and Estate Managers want to find a tenant then they need to be providing information that shows the available broadband for that property. 

Reliable Broadband for High End Estate Agency

High End Estate Agents aren’t just matching High Net Worth Individuals with their latest luxury home – They need to give their buyers confidence that they will be moving into a well connected home with strong, reliable broadband. 

Co-founder and MD of Compare My Move says it himself – The results show that “people are prioritising convenience, comfort, and connectivity in their everyday lives. While high-end extras might look impressive on paper, it’s the things we rely on daily – like Wi-Fi and a driveway – that really make a place feel like home.”

And thus, this needs to be reflected in the way that Estate Agents (including High End) and Estate Managers are marketing their properties. 

Is Slow Internet the Dealbreaker That’s Losing You House Sales?

The survey reported above supports previous research from a few years ago when it was found that 20% of people would not buy a property if it had slow internet speeds. 

Similarly, the lack of super-fast internet is often a deal-breaker when it comes to house hunting with many prospective buyers viewing the Wi-Fi connection more important than the number of bedrooms. 

Whilst the size of a property is still important, Estate Agents must now recognise that for many house hunters the quality and speed of the internet is now on par with other deemed essentials. In Scotland and the Southwest, some prospective house buyers value the availability of high-quality broadband above everything else – Even house size. 

Estate Agency and Estate Management clients are least likely to compromise on high-quality broadband when looking for a new home. Decent Wi-Fi was deemed more important than local amenities and space. 

In addition to this, homes for sale that had a worse connection could see Estate Agents selling at approximately £5K less, based solely on whether a home had access to a 300Mbps connection or not. 

How Many Homes Have Access to Full Fibre? 

According to Ofcom, 20.7 million UK homes, or 69% of the total, have access to full-fibre broadband. This represents a significant increase from 17.1 million homes (57%) in September 2023. 

Specifically, Ofcom’s Connected Nations report in July 2024 showed that:

  • Full-fibre coverage has expanded to 69% (20.7 million) of the UK’s 30.1 million homes. 
  • This is an increase of 12 percentage points (3.6 million premises) since September 2023. 
  • Full fibre is more prevalent in urban areas (71%) than in rural areas (52%). 
  • Gigabit-capable coverage, including full fibre and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable, has reached 83% (25 million) of UK homes. 
  • Northern Ireland leads the way with 93% of homes having access to full fibre. 

SpeedScore from Geekabit Wi-Fi Experts

With over a decade of experience providing connectivity solutions to UK markets, Geekabit saw how house buyers, tenants and hospitality customers are getting more tech savvy and starting to ask Estate Agents and Estate Managers questions about internet speeds and reliability.

Thus, we launched our innovative Internet Connectivity Measurement Platform – Geekabit SpeedScore. 

This gives Estate Agents and Estate Managers a variety of tools to help provide an independent certification of internet speeds and connectivity. Ideal if you’re trying to make a sale by proving the speed and connectivity of a property’s internet. 

Whether it’s a high end luxury property or the dream home of the average buyer, a clear, concise and accurate presentation of a property’s broadband could be the leverage to close that sale. 

You can read more about SpeedScore here. 

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6 GHz Cisco Cruise Ship Connectivity FCC US Wi-Fi
6 GHz Wi-Fi on Cruise Ships? Cisco Petitions FCC to Allow It

A new presentation from worldwide technology leader Cisco is appealing to the Federal Communications Commission to allow 6 GHz low-power indoor Wi-Fi operations aboard cruise ships. You can read their petition in full here. 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. It plays a crucial role in managing the nation’s communications infrastructure and ensuring fair competition, public safety, and media responsibility. 

Cisco and the FCC met last week where Cisco delivered their presentation appealing for 6 GHz to be allowed on cruise ships. 

In their report, Cisco say that 19 million passengers per year are transported by the cruise industry in the US, and growing at a rate of 4.5% every year.

Why is the 6 GHz Band Not Allowed on Ships? 

6 GHz was originally prohibited on ships in order to protect EESS remote sensing measurements across the oceans. 

EESS stands for Electrical Energy Storage System. It’s a technology that captures and stores electrical energy for later use, like a rechargeable battery. These systems are important for ensuring reliable power supply. 

However, EESS has now moved away from the 6 GHz band, making the restriction redundant. 

Back in 2023, the World Radiocommunication Conference decided to migrate EESS ocean sensing operations out of the 6 GHz band, making the original 6 GHz prohibition obsolete.

EESS operations are to transition to 4200-4400 MHz and 8400-8500 MHz frequency bands. This allocation of a new frequency has meant that there is already support for lifting the prohibition on unlicensed operations. There is a clear legal framework that enables the targeted Wi-Fi exemption for cruise ships. 

There are existing statutory definitions that the FCC can rely on that distinguish cruise ships from other types of boats and vessels. For example:

  • Cruise ships must be over 100 gross tons in weight, 200 feet in length, carrying more than 12 passengers. 
  • Vessels must travel defined routes lasting over 24 hours on high seas, embarking passengers in U.S. territories. 
  • Charter vessels and tour vessels must weigh less than 100 tons gross, making them statutorily distinct.
  • Cruise ships include multiple decks, restaurants, bars, spas, casinos, resembling hotels more than boats.

Why is 6 GHz Connectivity Needed on Cruise Ships Out at Sea?

Whether you are a seasoned cruise ship guest or have never cruised out on the open ocean, you might question the necessity of needing connectivity when you’re not in port. 

Allowing 6 GHz Wi-Fi whilst out at sea not only enhances the cruise experience for guests but also provides reliable connectivity to support critical ship operations.

6 GHz Connectivity for Guest Services on Cruise Ships

They might be on holiday but passengers are likely to still want to stay connected. Let’s face it, we tend to feel a bit lost when we don’t have a reliable connection at our fingertips. Cruise ship passengers will still want the opportunity to:

  • Stream movies from ship data centers 
  • Experience AR/VR for gaming
  • Rely on a connection for dining and retail purposes  
  • Access advisories
  • Communicate via the ship’s app
  •  Make Wi-Fi calls 

Any business in the hospitality industry strives for the best possible guest experience. Wi-Fi is a huge part of that, whether you’re on land or out at sea. 

A weak, poor or non-existent Wi-Fi performance at sea will affect promenade, pool, coffee shops, and other on-board guest services.

Reliable 6 GHz Connectivity for Ship Operations

Cruise ship guests might be on holiday but the crew members are not. Those that work on cruise ships will rely on a strong, reliable connection for a range of things. 6 GHz will provide Wi-Fi connectivity to facilitate:

  • Real-time access to navigational data and weather forecasts via Wi-Fi 
  • Sensors to monitor engines, ship systems, facilities, and security applications 
  • Communication between cruise ships, port authorities, crew members, and passengers 

Over 4,000 access points are deployed throughout cruise ship hallways, ceilings and cabins to help support all of the above for both guest services and ship operations. 

Allowing the 6 GHz band on cruise ships will enable wider channels for optimizing operations and the avoidance of excessive collisions.

Why is Cisco Interested in Cruise Ship Connectivity? 

Perhaps you’re wondering why Cisco is bothering to petition this? 

Well connectivity in the cruise industry actually has the potential to be big business. The network on a cruise ship typically:

  • Has 4000 Access Points
  • Supports more than 10,000 Wi-Fi devices
  • Provides connectivity for ship operations

Cruise ships are quite literally packed with guests, and whilst they might well be trying to escape what’s back home, no one can resist sharing that sunset selfie from their cabin window with the open ocean at their back. 

Cisco has a point and we’d agree that it is important to deliver the right high density connectivity onboard sea vessels. 

In the US alone, the cruise industry is worth $3.7 billion. 

6 GHz Wi-Fi on Cruise Ships

So if you’re a regular cruise ship passenger or you’re considering becoming a cruise ship guest in the future, you might just find yourself well connected via 6 GHz whilst on your travels thanks to Cisco. 

Wi-Fi whilst out on the open sea? Yes please. 

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Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help
School Wi-Fi Scheme For Schools Scrapped Except for RISE Schools

 A new government scheme will offer certain schools £25m worth of support to boost connectivity in the classroom – Available only to RISE schools. 

The Regional Improvement in Standards and Excellence (RISE) initiative is a government program to support struggling schools, aiming to improve school standards through targeted interventions and universal support. 

Connect the Classroom Scheme

Under this new scheme, grants will be provided to schools eligible for RISE improvement support, helping to boost classroom connectivity. 

Previously, funding had been prioritised for all schools that were located in an Education Investment Area (EIA) as part of the Connect the Classroom Scheme

However, the new government axed the EIA and new eligibility criteria was drawn up. 

It has been recently confirmed by the Department for Education that schools receiving targeted intervention through the RISE initiative will be eligible for the Connect the Classroom scheme. 

Wi-Fi For Schools – Eligibility Criteria for Funding

Schools eligible will be contacted directly by the DfE to receive funding. Eligibility criteria for receiving funding includes falling below their Wi-Fi Connectivity Standards for schools and colleges which can be found here. This includes:

  • Using the latest wireless network standards
  • Having a full functional signal from your wireless network throughout the school or college buildings and externally when required
  • Have a solution that can centrally manage the wireless network
  • Installing security features to stop unauthorised access

Do you know what network standards your school or college should meet on wireless performance, coverage, management and security? You can check the DfE’s network standards for schools and colleges online.

£25m of Funding Available This Financial Year

Following the £215 million investment between 2021 and 2025, there is £25 million available this financial year 2025 – 2026. 

Schools Week, a weekly publication focused on education news and analysis primarily for school leaders and other education professionals, obtained figures showing how many schools were given Wi-Fi funding and support over the last few years:

  • 2021: 428 schools received support
  • 2022: 229 schools received £12.5 million in funding from the scheme
  • 2023: 1,303 schools received £94 million in funding from the scheme

The government confirmed that approximately 400 schools were due to get support and funding through the Connect the Classroom scheme. It added that despite the number of eligible schools being lower, the money will reach more secondary schools and thus benefit more pupils. 

Wi-Fi Fix for Schools

Quality Wi-Fi is crucial in schools – It’s vital that pupils have access to a strong, reliable network to access online learning resources, facilitate collaboration, and support various educational activities. 

A reliable and secure Wi-Fi network ensures students can access digital content, collaborate on projects, and participate in online learning platforms. 

But if you work in a school or college then you know all that already! If you’re concerned that your school or college Wi-Fi network is not performing optimally, but it perhaps doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria for funding via RISE and Connect the Classroom, then get in touch with one of our Wi-Fi experts for your school. 

Our dedicated Wi-Fi engineers can survey your London, Hampshire or Cardiff based school Wi-Fi network and identify any problems. We can then provide a network design and device recommendations to help make sure your students have access to the best performing Wi-Fi network possible. 

For more information on how our Wi-Fi experts here at Geekabit can help your school or college wireless network, get in touch. 

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Uncategorised
Have You Seen This Viral Wi-Fi Trend? Here’s Why You Should Ignore It

If you’re prone to the odd social media scroll every now and again, then you might have come across a viral post recommending that broadband users encircle their router with a halo of tin foil. Unfortunately, we’re not kidding. 

This online ‘advice’ gained peak popularity, claiming to boost people’s broadband coverage at home just by creating a makeshift satellite dish of foil round the sides and back of the router. 

And we get it. Everyone’s been in that desperate situation where you just need the Wi-Fi to work! Whether you’re streaming your favourite show mid-Netflix binge and it’s buffering over the tense moments. Or your boss is trying to contact you with that all-important work call and your connection keeps dropping out. Nightmare! 

So it’s no wonder that people latched on to this purported Wi-Fi hack and attempted to boost their Wi-Fi signal with a roll of something they conveniently had lying in a kitchen drawer. 

The right Wi-Fi advice

It’s always a good idea to exercise a bit of caution when it comes to online hacks and advice. We took one look at this photo of a tin foil encased router and cringed. But that’s because we’re Wi-Fi experts and we know what can actually help boost our Wi-Fi signal. Hint – The tin foil isn’t it. 

Our blog is full of tips and advice on Wi-Fi and getting the best connection possible – Whether that’s broadband coverage, speed or consistently. We’d recommend starting there rather than some random person on X! 

Just because a post has millions of views and shares, doesn’t mean it’s true. The ‘advice’ from this hack was to take a few sheets of tin foil and shape it like a stadium around your router. The thinking behind this is that it will help to beam Wi-Fi around your home in a more efficient manner. 

Does this Wi-Fi tin foil hack actually work?

Whilst it may look somewhat like a satellite dish, the reality is that the curved, metallic design won’t actually reflect or direct Wi-Fi signals in a way that will make much of a difference. 

The thinking behind this idea is that rather than Wi-Fi signals shooting off into corners of the house devoid of internet-seeking devices, it would instead serve concentrated beams of Wi-Fi signal into the room and the rest of the house. 

Whilst this could make a small difference due to the Wi-Fi radio waves being more narrowly focused, it would also block the Wi-Fi from going behind the router which could cause more problems in itself. 

As you’ll see from the image above from the original viral post, there are multiple antennae pointing in different positions and that can be repositioned if needed. This means that you can deliberately position each antenna in the optimum for the tin foil to have an effect. 

Here in the UK, most standard-issue Wi-Fi routers are closed boxes with internal antennae. This means you wouldn’t be able to reposition them to make best use of your tin foil dish and could actually end up blocking the signal rather than directing it. 

What Wi-Fi hacks can you do instead of the viral tin foil trick?

There are a few things you can try if you are experiencing Wi-Fi problems.

Router Placement

If you are struggling with the strength of your Wi-Fi, try placing your router in a different position. Conduct some speed tests in different areas of your home to see where the best location is. Remember to test the speeds in the places you most need it – Where do you stream Netflix? Where do you log on to your computer? Do you have gamers in your home?  Test all these places to make sure your router is reaching them. 

Generally, the best place for your router will be:

  • In a central location
  • Off the ground
  • On a flat, open surface (not in a cupboard)
  • Away from large obstructions like the TV, bookshelf or appliance

Putting your router in an enclosed space like a cupboard is not conducive to a well-functioning Wi-Fi network. And the tin-foil trick could actually have the same negative effect as shutting your router away. 

Access Points

If after your speed tests you find that your Wi-Fi signal is generally lagging then don’t reach for the tin foil. What you really need is an Access Point or two. Cleverly placed Access Points around your home or property can help your Wi-Fi signal get to the places you need your coverage to reach. 

Access Points may help improve connectivity in premises that are large or have thick walls, making it tricky for a standard router to get Wi-Fi to all the places where you need a connection. 

If, after introducing some Access Points, you’re still experiencing problems with inconsistent broadband, then perhaps it may be wise to investigate alternative internet service providers.

“However, if you’re finding your broadband continues to have frequent interruptions, it might be time to consider switching providers to find the one best suited to your needs.”

Call the Experts

If you use your premises for business and thus need a strong, reliable connection, or perhaps have a large residence that makes it difficult for a router to provide complete coverage, then it may be worth calling in the Wi-Fi experts. Our Wi-Fi engineers can come and identify how to make your Wi-Fi network work for you. 

Give our friendly team a call. 

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