Europe’s Got it Right with Free Wi-fi
What about the rest of the world?
What started out as a mobile telephone that used to be owned by business officials, busy enough to make calls on the move and afford such a luxury, has now become ubiquitous with no restriction on age or status of the individuals who own one.
The majority that own smartphones depend on their devices for more than just connecting with people.
Here’s a quick list of ten things that come to mind when I use my smartphone during travel alone:
- WhatsApp messaging (with hotel, tour companies)
- Google maps (for calculating distance and get directions)
- Boarding passes and digital tickets stored in wallet
- Notes feature to create lists (mobile notebook)
- Translation apps for different language
- Camera feature for pictures and videos
- Social Media to share
- Reading books on the go
- Audio tours from museum or city tour apps
- Video conference or audio calls using WhatsApp or Facetime
Internet connectivity
With the exception of making a phone call that needs cellular service, all of the items on the list can be completed with just internet connectivity.
If you are from the United States, you will likely have a carrier that charges by the day to turn on international roaming. In short, I manage to turn on my cellular data only in emergencies.
For all the things listed above, I only need wi-fi connectivity. I find that Europe has gotten it right with providing FREE wi-fi in public places and restaurants. Starting from the airport, I was able to access free wi-fi to call an Uber in Vienna.
I haven’t been to Asia in over four years, but the last time I was at a restaurant of a five-star hotel, the manager was not willing to share the wi-fi password.
I can’t say the United States is good about providing free wi-fi either. Friends who visit the US usually have better international service plans and are able to use their roaming data for internet connectivity. If I didn’t have cellular service, I would struggle in the US as well.
What about South America, Africa, Australia, and the rest of the world? Do you have issues accessing free Wi-fi when you travel?