A Tokyo restaurant offers free public Wi-FiWhen you pack your bags and head off to the airport, one of the most commonly requested services at your new destination is the ability to connect to Wi-Fi.
As a result, some governments and businesses have picked up on the trend to lure more visitors to their cities, as well as promote a tech-savvy image.
But where are you most likely to be able to find a wireless hotspot?
We’d all expect developed countries like the United States to capitalize on the service. In New York there are multiple hotspots in public areas, and Google has recently offered to pay $600,000 for a public network in San Francisco. In the U.K., you can connect to the Cloud — a 16,000 hotspot strong service — for a fee.
As reported by Skift in the Wi-Fi rundown, tourists can register in Taiwan for temporary access, in the same way as Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan.
South Korea is arguably leading the charge when it comes to government-sponsored Internet access, with the national telecom LG subsidizing a free network country-wide that extends to cover its taxis and underground trains. However, there are a number of more surprising entries in cities that offer wireless Internet to tourists. Wi-Fi.ee’s wireless signals smother the city of Tallinn in Estonia, and the small South Pacific island of Niue offers free, nationwide Wi-Fi which attracts tourists in their droves who want to stay connected while sailing.
As free Wi-Fi becomes so common, its unlikely that private businesses, including hotels, will be able to justify charging for the service in the future if they wish to attract fresh business.
Via: Skift
