Business case studies

The Britannia Hotel

The Britannia Hotel is a pub in a 19th century listed building in the heart of the village of Chacewater. Michael and Sheila Owen took over the pub in September 2010.

They were among the very first to connect to superfast broadband when it became available in the village in March 2011.

Michael says: "Superfast broadband is fantastic. I had high expectations but it has been even better that I imagined. Downloading of films, for example, takes no time at all and when I send a video, it just flies. It really is amazing!"

"The installation process was completely straightforward too - it was all set up in practically no time.

Transforming what the pub offers

"Superfast broadband has transformed what the pub can offer. We are now the first superfast pub in Cornwall and because we offer free WiFi to our customers, people can experience superfast broadband first hand while enjoying a pint of real ale! Our customers have been blown away by it. They can’t believe the difference superfast broadband makes to what they can see and do on their mobile phones, for example.

"More business people are coming in now with laptops. We have a printer on the bar and customers are welcome to use the printer free of charge. So people can drop in, do their work and print it off, while enjoying a drink or a spot of lunch."

Michael and Sheila have plans to expand what is on offer at the pub further over the coming weeks, including large screen HD films and iPads available for customers to use free of charge.

A new experience

Sheila says: "As well as allowing us to offer a new experience to customers, superfast broadband is streamlining the business operations. Placing orders and paying bills online used to take me ages. Now I can carry out tasks that used to take the whole morning in just half an hour. That frees me up to focus on customer service."

Sheila continues: "We are consistently getting superfast speeds of over 38 Mbps for download and over 8 Mbps for uploads - these speeds are many times faster than anything we could get before.

"Superfast broadband has already opened some great new opportunities for us and our customers, allowing us all to do things differently and have a richer experience. The Britannia Hotel has been at the heart of village life for centuries and with superfast broadband, it is now set to be at the heart of the village in the digital age."

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