Why-Fi Is the Cost So High-Fi? How to Break Free from Venue Internet

Internet is essential to modern event production. Livestreams, remote presenters, registration systems, presentation content, production communications, and interactive experiences can all depend on a reliable connection. Unfortunately, venue internet can also be one of the most frustrating line items in an event budget.

Planners may encounter expensive packages, limited flexibility, and policies that make the venue's in-house internet provider appear to be the only option. In some cases, you may even worry that choosing an outside solution could affect the level of service you receive elsewhere in the venue.

Before accepting those strict terms for venue internet, it is worth understanding exactly what you are buying and what choices you actually have.

Venue internet can come at a premium.

Hotels and event venues frequently rely on in-house technology providers to manage their network infrastructure. That provider may control the building's wired connections, access points, switches, and other networking equipment. Access to that infrastructure can be expensive.

For events requiring dedicated bandwidth, production connectivity, or multiple devices, internet costs can escalate quickly. The resulting proposal may be significantly higher than what clients expect, even when the event's actual connectivity requirements are relatively straightforward.

Before approving the expense, ask what the package includes and whether every component is necessary for your event.

"Exclusive" deserves a follow-up question.

Planners also hear the word "exclusive" frequently when discussing venue technology. But what exactly is exclusive?

There is an important distinction between a provider having exclusive control over a venue's physical network infrastructure and a venue prohibiting independently sourced connectivity that does not use that infrastructure.

If you're told that you must purchase internet from the in-house provider, ask for clarification. If necessary, request the specific venue policy or contractual provision establishing the restriction.

You cannot properly evaluate your options until you know what the restriction actually covers.

Choosing another provider should not compromise unrelated services.

Another concern we hear from planners is more subtle: "If I don't use the in-house provider for internet, will that make everything else more difficult?" It shouldn't!

If you have contracted with a venue for meeting space, food and beverage, power, rigging, hospitality, or other services, you should expect those services to be delivered professionally and according to your agreement. Your decision to purchase one service competitively should not, in our view, result in reduced quality for unrelated services you have already contracted and paid to receive.

This is a major reason planners should understand their agreements instead of assuming that declining one venue service means jeopardizing another.

Independent connectivity is different from using the venue's network.

There is another important distinction that often gets overlooked. An independent mobile internet system does not necessarily need to access, modify, or utilize the hotel's existing network infrastructure.

Instead, it can connect directly to outside carrier networks and create a separate private network for the event. The venue's provider remains responsible for its infrastructure and contracted services, while the internet provider assumes responsibility for its own connectivity.

This separation also allows both providers to work alongside one another professionally without either party interfering with the other's systems.

Independent wireless connectivity is not a new concept.

People bring independently connected devices into hotels and event venues every day. Smartphones and mobile hotspots routinely connect to outside carrier networks rather than the property's WiFi.

There is also established FCC history concerning the distinction between managing a property's own network and intentionally interfering with independently operated wireless connectivity. The FCC has previously taken enforcement action involving the deliberate disruption of personal WiFi hotspots at hotel and convention facilities.

That does not mean every venue policy is invalid or that every independent system can operate anywhere without coordination. It does reinforce why planners should distinguish between using a venue's network and bringing an independent connectivity solution into the building.

There is another option for planners.

This is where Moonrise AV can help.

Our portable wireless internet service allows us to build a private event network using independent carrier connectivity without relying on the venue's existing internet infrastructure. We can engineer the system around your specific bandwidth, security, redundancy, and production requirements.

More importantly, we may be able to provide that connectivity at a fraction of the cost of the venue-provided option.

We take responsibility for the network we provide and coordinate professionally with venue technology teams to ensure our equipment operates safely without interfering with existing infrastructure.

If you've received a venue internet proposal that seems expensive or unnecessarily restrictive, send it to us before you sign. We'll help you understand what your event actually needs, determine whether portable wireless internet is appropriate for the location, and give you another option to compare.

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