This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Local Voices

A FIRST FOR SMALL BUSINESS IN BRANFORD: DUAL-BAND WI-FI SIGNALS IN ONE DEVICE

Comcast Business has launched the nation’s first wireless gateway service built specifically for a commercial environment with an integrated modem equipped to produce dual-band Wi-Fi signals. The Business Wireless Gateway allows entrepreneurs in Branford to assign one private wireless signal for their back-office needs and a separate public signal (Xfinity WiFi) for customers or visitors, creating a simple and secure solution for businesses of all kinds that want to take advantage of the many benefits of Wi-Fi.

 

This device and Business WiFi service are included with most Comcast Business Internet plans, and Comcast Business supports the device and provides customer service 24/7.

Find out what's happening in Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

“We are making the Business Wireless Gateway available nationwide because research has proven time and again that Wi-Fi is a game changer for brick and mortar based small businesses,” said John Guillaume, vice president of Product Development, Comcast Business. “Many different types of customers – coffee shops, law firms, real estate offices, gyms, libraries and more – want to attract and retain visitors to their location and give employees the tools they need to be more productive. Wi-Fi can be critical on both fronts, and this device can help make that easy to manage.”

Find out what's happening in Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

A recent survey of “Main Street” small business owners by Bredin Research indicated that some small business owners who don’t offer public Wi-Fi to their patrons have concerns about technical support, cost and customer misuse. Developed by Cisco, Comcast’s new Business Wireless Gateway addresses each of these concerns and more:

 

Private Wi-Fi

•             Fast – more than enough Wi-Fi speed to handle the demands and multiple devices of today’s modern businesses.

•             Private – a network that is separate and distinct from the public Wi-Fi, so the business is not impacted by activity by patrons.

•             Cost Effective – included with most Comcast Business Internet tiers.

•             Helps Productivity – through an expanded Internet experience for employees, who can connect wirelessly and quickly to the internal network, cloud applications and shared devices like printers.

•             BYOD – the rising popularity of bring your own device (BYOD) policies further enhances the appeal of Wi-Fi in the business setting, as employees increasingly want to use their own devices for work.

 

Public Wi-Fi

•             Speed – according to third party analysis, Xfinity WiFi is the fastest Wi-Fi in the nation.

•             Happy Customers – ensure visitors’ Wi-Fi experience is positive, which can lead to repeat visits, customer loyalty and new business.

•             Become a Destination – be a part of the largest public Wi-Fi network in the country and listed on an interactive Wi-Fi locator map – available through the Xfinity WiFi app and online.

•             Easy Installation – no additional equipment or routers required for public Wi-Fi; the public and private Wi-Fi networks, available through one device, are set up by Comcast Business technicians. 

•             Increased mobility – Businesses will receive two logins to access millions of Xfinity WiFi hotspots for business or personal purposes while on the go.

 

“Today’s ‘main street’ small businesses want to offer Wi-Fi to their customers to get them in the store and keep them coming back, but concerns can arise from over security and how challenging it will be to set up and maintain a Wi-Fi network,” said Matt Davis, director of Consumer and Small Business Telecom Services at IDC. “The Business Wireless Gateway from Comcast Business gives SMBs a single box solution to quickly set up both public and private Wi-Fi, with public access being managed and maintained over the Comcast network. This can alleviate security concerns because customers are not accessing the same Wi-Fi network that your employees are.”

 

For more about Wi-Fi use in small businesses on social media, follow #SMBWiFi.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?