Petruth Paddocks Gets Connected (via Satellite)
Located in the heart of Somerset, Petruth Paddocks is a great example of diversification. The owner, Jules, opened the campsite in 2003. While his children were growing up, it’s where they would disappear to, making great friends and creating brilliant memories. Petruth Paddocks is all about giving that same experience to other people.
Petruth Paddocks is aimed at people from all walks of life
and all ages, from the hardened camper to the total novice.
Its main aim is to provide a welcoming, relaxed and safe
environment where kids can be kids, and parents can relax
without being bombarded with a myriad of rules and
regulations.
The focus is very much on being outdoors and away from
the pressures of everyday life. However, at the same time,
Jules is aware that folk want to share their camping
experience online as it happens and some simply prefer
not to return to work with a deluge of emails. That is easier
than it sounds, given that the campsite is located in the heart
of rural Somerset and is not reached by traditional
broadband.
Replacing Faulty Equipment
Realising that it was out of the reach for most broadband connections, Petruth Paddocks invested in satellite broadband some time ago. Unfortunately, the provider it was using installed a faulty system and then, not surprisingly, went into receivership. Guests were not able to benefit from a connection and in this increasingly connected world, that is something many people expect wherever they go. This of course left the owners with a somewhat sceptical outlook on the merits of satellite broadband. Yet at the same time it was important they found a solution, for both visitors and their own connection, to enable them to take bookings and actively communicate with visitors and potential visitors via social media.
Global Teleports installed an enterprise grade satellite dish on the site, together with a number of dual band wifi access points to extend a fast broadband signal throughout the 14-acre campsite. Guests can now access the fast broadband service at 20Mbit/s wherever they are on the site.
“Our customers are looking to get away from it all and enjoy a relaxed environment. However, at the same time many of them are still looking to stay connected. Offering a reliable free wifi connection across a large site in the middle of the countryside can be quite a challenge, therefore I’m really pleased that, thanks to this service, we can now provide that.”
- Jules, Owner, Petruth Paddocks
A Progressive Business
Petruth Paddocks is an extremely progressive business. That is obvious from the choice of camping options, from bringing a tent or caravan to staying in a purpose-built hut or bell tent. It is also about a big welcome to all. When he is not driving a myriad of children around on the back of his quad bike, Jules is helping novice campers setup their tents for the first time.
With a progressive outlook, hosting events is a big part of the offering at
Petruth, from private events, such as wedding receptions to open air
film nights, parties and stone-baked pizza evenings. The most recent
event saw the site play host to Bradley Gunn Raver, a well-known raver
with a cult following in the clubbing world, who streamed his Monday
Evening Rave Session live from Petruth Paddocks. The session is part
of a weekly series broadcast live on the raver’s Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/bradleygunnraver/). This stream would
not have been possible without the satellite broadband connection,
which meant fans from across the globe were able to see the action
live from the heart of Somerset.
Petruth Paddocks is a safe family-friendly environment. To help ensure
it stays that way, Global Teleports is also implementing CCTV surveillance
across the site, which will be connected to the satellite broadband
system for easy and instant access.
Overcoming the rural challenges
Campsite owners are often faced with an expectation from visitors that there will be wifi provision on site. When the site is in a rural location, which may often not even have mobile connection, this becomes all the more problematic and all the more important for visitors. By implementing satellite broadband from Global Teleports, Petruth Paddocks is able to keep the business connected as well as connecting all of its guests to a fast and reliable broadband service.