Florida hotel to get private LTE network with Airspan

DORAL, Florida – Interlink Group, A regional wireless integration company that engages in design-build of low voltage infrastructure has been selected by GFO Investments to deploy a new pilot program at the Gale Hotel in South Beach. Part of the Hilton Hotels Curio Collection, the hotel is one of the first properties to receive a CBRS Private LTE system that can offer 5G high speed connectivity to hotel guests and staff alike. Interlink Group provides design and installation services for the radio equipment, fiber optic and network infrastructure as well as testing and certification services.

"One of the most challenging aspects of this project is that it needed to be executed while the hotel was operational at full capacity during the winter season. We successfully installed and commissioned all radio equipment within our allotted time span. The second half of our challenge was to make room in an already full main IT room for the 5G equipment cabinet. We pulled it off without any major issues. A job well done by our technical team," commented Bradford Sherman, Interlink Groups Principal design engineer and operations manager.

GFO Investments, a private wealth management advisory firm focused on real estate development and hospitality ventures, partnered with AirSpan Networks Inc., a U.S.-based provider of groundbreaking, disruptive software and hardware for 5G networks. The technology will launch in late Q4 2022.

"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."

Implementing 5G will improve the hotel guest experience by providing excellent cell signal and hotspot capabilities on property. With the exponential growth of video conferencing, 5G eliminates the typical problems of virtual meetings. Additionally, hotel operators can streamline operations with rapid communication between different systems. The new technology allows for faster automated check-in and check-out procedures for Hilton Honors loyalty members, which cuts labor costs and eliminates lines that are irritating for guests. With 5G, all systems are interconnected and communicate seamlessly in real-time.

"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 provide this innovative network solutions in one of the first CBRS deployments of its kind at a US 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 for the first time the need to acquire expensive spectrum licenses.

Read the full press release here

AirSpan