Life is changing with breakneck speed and we have two choices. One, to adapt and make the most of it, or be left behind. The last two years have been awful for several reasons, but there's something good about it as well. Working remotely has become the new normal and that's not a bad thing.
I remember in March 2020, when all hell broke loose due to covid, many people were forced to work from home, shops were urging people to pay using their credit/debit cards, which led to transactions lagging a lot. The whole thing lasted a couple of days, after which things got normalized.
Internet service providers realized early the need for better services, where it was the case. Urban areas are usually in a good position in Romania as everyone has internet, except a part of the elderly category, those who can't keep up with fast development anymore. Rural areas also have internet, but the number of users is obviously less. I'd like to believe the number is growing though year by year.
If you're able to work from home, it means you're able to work from anywhere basically. The only thing you need is internet. Before you traveling, when you want to book your accommodation, WiFi is among the details you're looking for. Nowadays every hotel, B&B, resort, motel, inn has internet as it is as important as having a bathroom. The problem starts when you check in, unpack your things and try to access the internet, you realize the signal is weak, the internet is lagging and you can barely open your emails or check your social media profile (if you have one), let alone do some work. This is the point where most of us get frustrated.
Get Your Secure Internet Connection
This is one of the reasons I'm getting my mobile internet for my laptop this month. The other reason is security. Since now I've been using my mobile internet on my phone while traveling, in places where the only option has been a WiFi I could not trust 100%. I know there are many users on this platform that own only a mobile phone and do everything using their phone, but I prefer my laptop for posting, charting and keeping an eye on my finances.
Using a public WiFi puts you at high risk, I would never trust such a connection with my finances. Capital preservation always comes first in my book and having my secure internet connection is a form of capital preservation. We say not your key, not your crypto but you can have your key and think you're secure, but not if you're using a public WiFi.
So last week I called my internet provider to see what are my options and was surprised to find out, I can get 50GB data per month for 2€/month. I need to mention that the cheapest pack of cigarettes are around 4€, or to have a better understanding of how much 2€ means in my country, here is another example, you can buy 5 bus tickets in the city. I think I could not get a better deal.
Now let's see is 50GB data enough for one month?
Yes, 50 GB would be able to support a professional working from home or a small family and is considered heavy usage. If you were to use 50 GB of data for a month what would it look like though? You could spend 2,500 hours browsing the internet which seems like a good many hours if that is mainly what you do. You could also stream music for 600 hours or have 400 apps downloaded. You could open and read 20,000 emails for your business if you are a professional who works at home. Or if you need to Skype the partners of your business then you could have 300 hours of Skype calls. If your family likes to watch movies then you could download 50 movies in SD for the month. Of course there will be a mix of all these options, but there are many activities you could do with 50 GB a month. The activities that will take up the most data is gaming online and streaming movies and shows on high settings. If you are worried about going over your data cap then you may want to watch how often you do these activities or do them during low volume times. source
I don't do gaming, nor streaming, so you can imagine 50GB is more than enough for me.
Having my own internet on my laptop is a huge advantage for me. I can continue what I do daily even when I'm traveling. With a volatile market we're having lately, it' important to have access to your wallets so you don't miss out.
Business Opportunity For The Hotel Industry
With all the changes we've been having lately, tourism is not what it was once. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Up until recently, vacation for many families meant one week, two weeks travel as holidays were short. Now kids can do classes through Zoom in some cases, which means the only thing that matters is the internet connection. Some parents can work remotely as well. This means reservations can be for longer periods.
Offers have to be adjusted to these needs, also in some cases redesigning is also needed. Having one bed, a nightstand and a wardrobe in your hotel room may not be enough anymore. You need a desk and a reliable internet connection. This will be key in the future. There's no middle road here, adapt or die.
The hospitality industry took a big hit in the last two years, many businesses had to close their door forever and we're not out of the woods yet. We don't know what's going to happen this year. Travel restrictions are still in place in some countries but indigenous traveling is possible.
Crypto nomads can already work from wherever they want. Some are well off, can afford luxury accommodations, but there are plenty, who will still travel on a tight budget. Renting out a place for three months means steady income for the owners, better than waiting and hoping for one week or two.
And this is how we already have a new tourist category, called Work From Home-ers (WFH).
Please note, the USB WIFI modem on the photo above is just an example. I still need to consult with the guys to see which one is the best option for me. I don't want to buy something obsolete.
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