A total of 200,000 users have joined Irish Wi-Fi network operator MyPlace Connect to avail of free Wi-Fi in restaurants, cafés, pubs and hotels throughout Ireland. These 200,000 new users have joined MyPlace Connect since the service was launched in the past year. This surge in people signing up for free Wi-Fi equates to an average of an extra 500 users joining MyPlace Connect each day.
After investing in significant infrastructure and technology, the Irish technology company is now providing free Wi-Fi in over 200 dedicated hotspots, a figure that is growing rapidly.
The MyPlace Connect service is little over a year old, and according to founder Peadar Gormley “this incredible growth has been remarkable. We have exceeded our own targets by almost 200%, with an average of an extra 500 Irish pub, café, restaurant or hotel users joining us every day. Significantly, MyPlace Connect Wi-Fi has now been accessed over 1,000,000 times over this same period, which is three quarters of a million more than we had anticipated.”
“The free Wi-Fi from MyPlace Connect is receiving very positive feedback from our users and the scale of the growth indicates that people are voting with their smartphone, MacBook, laptop and tablet, and signing up for our easy to use Wi-Fi service.”
“The hospitality sector is struggling to find ways to attract new customers and to retain existing customers, and there is ample evidence that shows that pubs, hotels, restaurants and cafés that offer free Wi-Fi to their customers are favoured by those customers, over those places that don’t.”
“The MyPlace Connect Wi-Fi network is unique, as it is solely funded by advertising revenue to date with many of Ireland’s best known brands already using the platform.”
“Smartphone penetration is predicted to reach 71% by the end of 2012, according to a recent study by RedC and WIN, which increases the need for Wi-Fi access in hospitality venues. MyPlace Connect has responded positively to this growing need and has a range of tailored products for hospitality venues to allow them offer the growing number of Wi-Fi users an opportunity to use free Wi-Fi”, concluded Gormley.
Expansion overseas
Speaking about overseas expansion for MyPlace Connect, Peadar Gormley stated “due to the new technology that we have developed the company now have plans to expand into the UK market with our MyPlace Connect service. We are fortunate to have the support of Enterprise Ireland and expect to make progress in the New Year in the UK market.”
“On the back of the success of the service in Ireland, MyPlace Connect are providing free Wi-Fi hotspots in a number of locations in New York, having secured important partnerships with key players in the hospitality sector.”
