Computer Backup Inc. adds LongFi Connect to an existing Omada network, bringing Wi-Fi carrier offload to a Gulf Coast lodge and restaurant.
Head west on Highway 180 and the vacation begins to change shape. Gulf Shores gives way to the Fort Morgan peninsula, a strip of coast between the Gulf and the bay. At Kiva Dunes, the choices narrow pleasantly: a round of golf, a walk to the water, another hour with no particular plans.
A phone still finds its way into the day. There are arrival instructions to retrieve, dinner plans to settle and photographs to send to someone who couldn't make the trip. Getting away works better when those small connections take just a moment.
A guest experience shaped by the coast
Kiva Dunes grew from roughly 276 acres purchased by Jim "Scrappy" Edgemon and Larry Drummond in 1992. Jerry Pate's golf course opened three years later. Edgemon and Pate had met as college golfers after Edgemon made a hole-in-one while Pate was on the green ahead of him. A handshake began the friendship that eventually helped shape this stretch of coast.1
Kiva Lodge brings together 23 condominium units, the golf shop and Kiva Grill, a public restaurant and bar. Breakfast brings one set of guests through; a meal after a round brings another. The same building serves people settling in for several nights and people stopping by for an afternoon.
In 2025, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan welcomed 7.14 million visitors,2 and at its 2026 Tourism Summit the tourism board reported that spring and fall visitation is holding steady across hotels and vacation rentals.3 On the Fort Morgan peninsula, cellular coverage can be less consistent, making everyday phone use less convenient for guests and diners. When a map takes longer to load or a photo waits to upload, even a brief interruption can get in the way of a guest's plans. Helping visitors stay connected is part of making that destination easy to enjoy.
An existing Omada network with a new role
CBI already had the Wi-Fi infrastructure in place. Omada EAP720 Wi-Fi 7 ceiling-mount access points cover the facility, with an OC200 hardware controller providing centralized management. Working with LongFi, CBI activated LongFi Connect carrier offload on that network. Guests can benefit from the Wi-Fi already serving the property, with the familiar network remaining under CBI's management.
That distinction matters. A guest can be standing inside a building with perfectly usable Wi-Fi while a phone keeps trying a slow cellular connection. Finding a network name and asking for a password takes an extra decision. It also assumes the guest knows that switching networks might help.
Recent features open the door to carrier offload
Recent Omada releases brought Hotspot 2.0 to access points such as the EAP720. Omada's documentation identifies Passpoint support in Controller v5.15.24 and RadSec support in Controller v6.1.4 Passpoint handles automatic network discovery and authentication; RadSec protects RADIUS authentication traffic with TLS. Together, these capabilities give compatible Omada networks the tools to participate in secure roaming services.
In everyday terms, Passpoint helps a supported phone find and join a trusted Wi-Fi network automatically, and RadSec protects the behind-the-scenes check that lets the phone connect. The technology does more of the work, leaving the visitor with less to think about.
LongFi Connect makes access automatic
LongFi Connect lets compatible phones with eligible carrier or roaming credentials connect without choosing a network, entering a venue password or completing a splash page. Guest data travels over the facility's Wi-Fi and internet connection. For visitors, the benefit is practical: retrieving arrival details, coordinating plans or sharing a photo with fewer interruptions. CBI continues to manage the Wi-Fi, while LongFi provides the carrier offload service.
Guest connectivity and partner perspectives
From August 27 to October 29, 2026, LongFi Connect at Kiva Lodge and Kiva Grill logged 5,800+ phone connections and offloaded 570+ GB of carrier data to the facility's existing Wi-Fi. The busiest single day came on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, when 168 phones connected.
Monthly activity
Cellular coverage can vary along this part of the Fort Morgan peninsula, so we wanted to make staying connected easier for visitors at Kiva. LongFi Connect builds on the Omada Wi-Fi already in place, helping visitors and guests use their phones to check directions or stay in touch with family.Lance AlexanderOwner, Computer Backup Inc.
A guest should be able to pull up a reservation or share a photo and get back to enjoying their visit. Where cellular coverage is less consistent, LongFi Connect helps eligible phones connect automatically while inside Kiva, making those everyday moments a little easier.Josh HellerCEO, LongFi Solutions
Figures from LongFi's monitoring of Kiva Lodge and Kiva Grill. A phone connection is one phone connected to LongFi Connect on a given day.
Built on the existing Omada network
No new hardware was required. CBI applied LongFi Connect as a configuration change on the network it already manages.
For a diner, a useful connection might mean checking the route to the next stop before leaving the table. For a family staying upstairs, it might mean pulling up a booking or confirming when the group will meet. These are small tasks, but a phone that cooperates can keep them small. There is less reason to pause the visit and troubleshoot.
A lodge and restaurant bring together different kinds of visits. Some people stay long enough to learn the rhythms of the place; others are there for a single meal. Automatic access can help both. A short visit should not require a separate lesson in getting online, and a longer stay should not be punctuated by the same connection problem.
Send the sunset photo home. Then look up while there is still some of it left.
See the Kiva Dunes case study →
References
[1] Kiva Dunes: About Kiva Dunes
[2] Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism: 2025 Tourism Economic Impact
[3] Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism: Alabama's Beaches 2026 Tourism Summit
[4] Omada Networks: Hotspot 2.0 and RadSec support by controller version
Images are representative scenes and were not taken at Kiva Dunes.
Keep your guests connected wherever your Wi-Fi reaches.
LongFi Connect runs on compatible business-grade Wi-Fi, including Omada networks with Passpoint support. Managed service providers like CBI can activate it for the properties they already serve.
Compatibility is reviewed during site qualification.