Starting from March 2019, the Wi-Fi routers will be installed to the area’s premises accordingly!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Niseko, Japan - March 2019 - The Niseko Promotion Board is pleased to announce that the organisation decided to implement a free Wi-Fi service, which has been developed as a Wi-Fi infrastructure business in the Niseko area operating since 2015, as “Niseko Tourism Wi-Fi” to enhance its business capabilities in information provision. The Niseko Promotion Board (Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido; hereinafter referred to as the NPB) and FON Japan (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), a subsidiary company operated in Japan by the world's largest Wi-Fi service operator Fon Wireless, Ltd., have jointly started a project to provide free Wi-Fi services for visitors, especially for inbound tourists, to make the whole “Niseko” tourism area in Hokkaido an established Wi-Fi accessible resort since 2015. Niseko is a famed travel destination now for its world-renowned powder snow “JAPOW” which attracts winter sports enthusiasts from all around the globe. The area has also been growing as a year-round resort with full of tourism resources including the majestic scenery of Mt. Yotei (1,898m above sea level) which rises across from the Niseko mountain range, a wide variety of outdoor activities and “onsen” hot springs, and exceptionally fresh cuisine. Through the project, the latest high-performance Wi-Fi routers provided by FON, of which more than 20 million hotspots are in service in over 200 countries, will be installed in accommodation facilities such as hotels, condominiums, restaurants, and activity facilities in the Niseko area free of charge. As a result, not only can each facility set up a global brand Wi-Fi service at no cost, guests can also use the free Wi-Fi while using and staying in the facility. Those premises will also benefit from the FON’s high profile overseas as well as a great convenience provided by the service which can give a boost in attracting more inbound tourists. Moreover, using FON's log-in functions on Google, Facebook and so on enable guests to use Wi-Fi safely without bothersome procedures such as personal information registration. Through the improvement of the Wi-Fi environment in the Niseko area, the NPB expects to enhance the digital experience of the staying guests and utilise various statistical information obtained from the users for the area marketing. Starting from March 2019, the Wi-Fi routers will be installed to the area’s premises accordingly, and approximately 200 facilities in the Niseko area will be equipped with the latest Wi-Fi devices by the end of the year. It is planned that 50 to 100 new routers to be installed every year to expand the service area in the future. ※ Please see here about installed facilities.
- About FONWith an ambition of "covering the world with Wi-Fi”, FON was founded in February 2006 by a serial entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky. The FON's community Wi-Fi, in which the users agree and can use other members' hotspots, has expanded as a unique crowdsourcing approach and grown to become a world's most extensive Wi-Fi network with over 20 million hotspots. Partner carriers include BT (UK), Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Vodafone (Spain, Italy), SFR (France), KPN (the Netherlands), Proximus (Belgium), NOS (Portugal), Netia (Poland), Cosmote (Greece), MTC (Russia), Oi (Brazil), KT (Korea), Telstra (Australia), MWEB (South Africa) and many more. Some world leading companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Qualcomm, ITOCHU Corporation, Atomico, Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital to name a few, are investing in this distinguished Wi-Fi enterprise. With an ambition of "covering the world with Wi-Fi”, FON was founded in February 2006 by a serial entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky. The FON's community Wi-Fi, in which the users agree and can use other members' hotspots, has expanded as a unique crowdsourcing approach and grown to become a world's most extensive Wi-Fi network with over 20 million hotspots. Partner carriers include BT (UK), Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Vodafone (Spain, Italy), SFR (France), KPN (the Netherlands), Proximus (Belgium), NOS (Portugal), Netia (Poland), Cosmote (Greece), MTC (Russia), Oi (Brazil), KT (Korea), Telstra (Australia), MWEB (South Africa) and many more. Some world leading companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Qualcomm, ITOCHU Corporation, Atomico, Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital to name a few, are investing in this distinguished Wi-Fi enterprise.
- About Niseko Promotion BoardThe Niseko Promotion Board (NPB) is a non-profit, member-based marketing and sales organisation representing the Niseko area. Formed in 2007, the Niseko Promotion Board is responsible for promoting the resort as an international, year-round destination with the goal of increasing overnight visitation. The Niseko Promotion Board represents more than 1,000 member companies and individuals who own, manage and operate properties, hotels, restaurants, activities and retail shops in the area. Fifteen elected individuals and six appointees represent the various sector interests on the 21-member Board of Directors. Membership fees are the primary source of funding for the worldwide marketing and sales initiatives that the Niseko Promotion Board manages and directs, supplemented by net income from sponsorship, advertising and financing. NPB website: http://www.nisekotourism.com
