Wi-Fi and When There Is None

Talk about first world problems. As a Finn, I am quite used to having a fast wireless internet connection not only at home, but at hotels, coffee shops and other public spots for a quite affordable fee or completely for free (not usually at home, of course). And when there is no otherwise provided internet connection, I can always connect to the internet via mobile data services (by the way - I completely missed the important Lumia update late June, bringing the Wi-Fi hotspot to the phone!).

But what about when the Internet connection is not a given? Like when the connection at home is not working? Or when the hotel does not provide Wi-Fi while you're tarveling? When you cannot even use the data connection of the phone because it would be such a big cost when you're traveling abroad? [By the way, I sincerely believe that mobile data connections at least within the EU shuold be made affordable!]

The feeling of helplessness is pathetic. It's not like I would need to be posting my every move in Facebook or anything, but I constantly run into little things I'm customed to, that I cannot use when the mobile data is turned off. Like opening the maps app on my phone to check where exactly I am and where my hotel is. Paper map, info maps, duh! My flight details? I cannot open the pdf attachment from my (pre-loaded) email. Or check the details from my OneNote app since that too wants to sync from the Internet. What if I forgot to print these out, just because I'm so used to having the Internet action.

Or like when sitting in a seminar, I take a photo of the presentation on my cell phone. And then on my laptop I open Windows Explorer and navigate to the Skydrive folder. But, uups! My photo is not there! The mobile data is turned off so no pics get uploaded, and most probably the Wi-Fi is not even working as so easily happens in seminars where tens or hundreds of people try to connect at the same time. And I cannot help that either for my part by using mobile data connection.

In the evening I would like to surf the Internet, read the news a bit, post an entry in my blog etc. while idling alone in my hotel room. But whereas in Finland most hotels have free Wi-Fi, it generally is not so in most other countries, to my experience. If it is reasonably priced, I may consider buying some Internet time for myself (if it even is available that way), but even I am not that huge of an addict that I couldn't go for a couple days - even weeks, even deliberately when on vacation - without an Internet connection.

You don't even notice it when the connection just is availbale. Our lives intertwine, the things we use and do intertwine with Internet services in so many ways! Add free global Internet connection to basic human rights! ;)