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Village Hall Doctor
Safeguarding the future of Community Buildings
GUIDE SHEET 2
WIFI FACILITY IN COMMUNITY BUILDINGS
Giving hirers the opportunity to connect to the internet, whilst using any community building, is a
good idea because it could increase the number of bookings. But what system is best and how
much does it cost? This guide gives management committees the answer.
Of course, technology is changing continually and we will do our best to keep this Guide up to
date. But you should search for the best deal before installing your WIFI system.
What are the considerations?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Broadband signal strengths.
Monthly limitations on the amount of data that can be downloaded and phone calls.
How to restrict usage to bona fide hirers.
Cost of installing equipment and the annual contract charges.
What are the options?
There are two ways to provide WIFI (Wireless Fidelity) connection for your hirers.
1. Install a land line phone with a router – e.g. BT Home Hub – and get the best broadband
supply package.
2. Install a mobile WIFI device (MIFI) from a mobile phone service company.
Recommendation
Option 1 – land line and router – is the better option, because you’re not governed by the strength
of the mobile signal, the amount of data that can be downloaded and it’s cheaper!
Although BT broadband connection speeds can be pretty low in some locations, (less than 2mps),
mobile signal strengths can be so low, that they cannot support a MIFI facility.
If you only want broadband for WIFI, and don’t need to make phone calls, you will be best to go
for a Residential (Home) contract rather than a business contract. Most suppliers will provide
UNLIMITED broadband usage and free weekend phone calls, but there are additional costs for
using the phone during week days, which may be at premium rates. The aim is to provide free
WIFI connection, not free phone calls! Another point to remember is that you must add VAT to
quoted Business tariffs, whereas Residential tariffs include VAT.
SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST DEAL! There’s so much competition, and so you should do your
research before signing up with any supplier. The USwitch.com website has all the details of
current offers from various suppliers.
Sample Annual Costs – Option 1
When checking out the various phone and broadband deals from suppliers such as BT, Talk Talk,
Plusnet, Sky and Virgin Media, do make sure you have ALL the costs.
T: 07812 064279 E: [email protected] W: www.villagehalldoctor.org
The following comparative costs for BT and Plus Net are based on offers in January 2015. But
please note, Village Hall Doctor is not responsible for any decision Village Hall Committees take on
which supplier to use. The following comparative annual costs are indicative only.
BT Residential Tariff
 Minimum 12 month contract with a limit of 10GB/month data transfer.
 Minimum 18 month for unlimited (U/L) data transfer.
Installing Router
Line
Free
Free
Data
Usage
10GB/m
Free
U/L
Free
Phone
Calls
Free at
w/e
Free at
w/e
Line
Broadband Cost
Rental
£16.99/m £4.75/m
Total
£/month
£21.74
Total
£/year
£261
£16.99/m £10.00/m for
months 1-6.
£21.00/m for
months 7-18.
Months 1-6
£26.99
Months 718 £37.99
Ave of
£412
Broadband Total £/month
Cost
£2.50/m
£18.45 if paying line
by D/D
rental monthly.
Total
£/year
£242*
Plus Net Residential Tariff
 Minimum 12 month contract with unlimited data transfer
 Pay the 12 month line rental up front and save £35.
Installing Router
Line
£49.99
P&P
only £6
Data Phone
Usage Calls
U/L
Free
w/e
Line
Rental
£15.95/m
or £156/yr
up front
* This total cost includes line installation, the router and paying the 12 monthly line rental
(£15.95/m) as a lump sum up front. This saves £35 over the year.
Of the two options Plus Net offers the better deal because, there’s no limit on the amount of data
that can be downloaded for an annual cost of £242*.
Sample Annual Costs – Option 2
The following data, on MIFI costs, has been extracted from uk-mobile-broadband-deals.com
Network
£/month Data Limits
Contract
Extras/Details
Cost/Yr
3
£21
15GB/month
24 months
Free MIFI device. 3G network
£253
3
£23
15GB/month
24 months
MIFI device £50. 4G network
£328
Vodaphone £10
1GB/month*
12 months
MIFI device £19
£139
* 1GB of data transfer is very small. Going over the limit will add significantly to the annual cost.
Not recommended!
Village Hall Doctor – January 2015
T: 07812 064279 E: [email protected] W: www.villagehalldoctor.org