Get your game face on: How internet speed and reliability helped Fortress conquer a niche market

Gamers, like other home-based hobbyists, don’t need to go out to have a good time. So Fortress co-founder and CEO Jon Satterley knew he would have to provide a pretty spectacular customer experience to tempt them to his gaming and hospitality venue, and keep them coming back. 

Among other things, this meant he needed a fast and reliable internet connection—much better than what his target market could get at home. 

A need for speed

At Fortress’s flagship venues in Sydney and Melbourne, its business model comprises two main elements: Food and beverage sales from the tavern and bars; and paid-for gameplay in the esports arenas, dedicated PC gaming zones, and console booths.

It was immediately obvious to Satterley that selling time on computers meant he had to offer an experience much better than what people can get at home, or he was unlikely to get very far.

With that in mind, he opted for a business-grade fibre internet solution on Telstra’s Premium Plan, as it came with enhanced features such as symmetrical speeds, low latency and uncontended connections. This decision has proved crucial to help ensure a fast and reliable performance, even when handling multiple patrons at once.

“Very few people could ever get the internet speed we deliver at Fortress in their homes,” Satterley says. “We offer amazing internet speeds. And it makes for an extraordinary customer experience.”

Learn more about how Telstra’s Business Grade Fibre can boost your business productivity by visiting a Telstra Business Technology Centre.

Here’s a quick rundown of the enhanced business-grade fibre features Fortress benefits from on Telstra’s premium plan:

• Symmetrical speeds mean your upload bandwidth and your download bandwidth is the same, and you won’t lose bandwidth when uploading and downloading simultaneously.
• Uncontended connections are dedicated internet connections that are not shared with (or affected by) other businesses or users.
• Low latency refers to the round-trip time it takes for data to go from one point to another, making it vital in high-precision, online multiplayer games where every millisecond counts. It also makes for fast and responsive digital interactions when tapping on a point of sale or ordering via online menus.

Because reliability is key to Fortress’s popularity and growth, Satterley also put in two links at each of his sites, meaning the business will stay connected if there is ever a fault on the first link. As he puts it, “We wanted a rock-solid internet connection to deliver the gaming experience our customers expect.”

Epic experiences drive Fortress’ business growth

One of the other secrets to Satterley’s success has been his decision to collaborate with various experts, including architects, Testra’s IT services providers, and AV consultants, to bring the vision for his venue to life.

“Our partners were crucial to making our dream a reality,” he says. “My background is not in electrical engineering or computer science. I’m from the music and entertainment industry. The only way we could succeed is by bringing in experts to work with our internal teams.

“Like any business, we have lots of moving parts in our business operations where things could go wrong. Computer hardware, cloud software, game compatibility issues, game publisher activity. Things do crop up, but we have people and experts to mitigate those kinds of challenges.”

At the end of the day, Satterley wants people “to leave Fortress feeling better than when they went in”, and a patchy, slow internet connection could seriously sabotage that mission. 

Aside from its disastrous impact on gaming, even simple activities like paying a bill or ordering food would be painful and frustrating, with each minor inconvenience chipping away at the five-star customer experience he’s working so hard to create. 

“Great business-grade fibre is a non-negotiable for us,” Satterley says. “We need that capacity and internet speed. Any potential site for us must have business-grade fibre, or we’ll go elsewhere. It’s that important.”