How soon till coffee shops in Manila offer wi-fi for free? It's already being done in the US, where free wi-fi is a basic service provided by caffeine peddlers. It's a by-product of the intense competition over there, where the constant battle for customers has forced cafes to do what has to be done to fill their seats.
Over here, most coffee shops offer wi-fi through airborne access; for 100 bucks, you can buy a prepaid card that allows you to surf the net for an hour––quite steep. For 200 pesos more, you can buy a prepaid card that gives you five hours of internet access, a better deal, but still more expensive than your friendly neighborhood internet cafe.
Given how expensive these wi-fi prepaid cards can be, and how often I need to connect to the net, I thought it prudent to sign up for a Smart Bro promo that allows its subscribers to have unlimited access to airborne access wi-fi hotspots for 100 pesos a month, which is added to one's Smart Bro bill. It's been a very good investment. I visit a wi-fi hotspot at least once a month (even if I have internet at home), and each time I surf for at least three hours. As I always have my Powerbook with me, a visit to Starbucks usually means I can surf while enjoying my cafe mocha.
(An aside; people sometimes ask, "Don't you every get tired of the internet? You're online at home and at work; why do you have to go online when you go out?" My answer is "no, I never get tired of the internet." There's really no limit to what can be done online these days. My Powerbook is my main communication and information tool, and without the internet, it wouldn't be as powerful a tool.)
Today I was pleasantly surprised to see that Gloria Jean's Megamall, where I get my post-gym caffeine and internet fix, now offers wi-fi for free. They have this big tarp that announces this, and by the look of the place––which was rarely full when I used to drop by––the free wi-fi seems to be attracting its fair share of customers.
There is no doubt in my mind that their profits are going to jump. If there's something I've learned from visiting the online Mac communities, it's that people love free wi-fi. If a hotel, restaurant, or coffee shop offers free wi-fi, you can bet that people attached to their laptops, and consequently, the internet, will visit. When I was looking for a hotel in Legaspi City for me to stay in when I visited last year, my primary consideration was access to the internet; when I want coffee, internet access, not the taste of a cafe's lattes, is my main consideration.
Pretty soon, businesspeople are going to realize that if they want to attract customers, they're going to have to provide free access to the internet, in one form or the other. When that day comes, a lot of laptop-luggers––myself included––are going to be very, very happy.
Over here, most coffee shops offer wi-fi through airborne access; for 100 bucks, you can buy a prepaid card that allows you to surf the net for an hour––quite steep. For 200 pesos more, you can buy a prepaid card that gives you five hours of internet access, a better deal, but still more expensive than your friendly neighborhood internet cafe.
Given how expensive these wi-fi prepaid cards can be, and how often I need to connect to the net, I thought it prudent to sign up for a Smart Bro promo that allows its subscribers to have unlimited access to airborne access wi-fi hotspots for 100 pesos a month, which is added to one's Smart Bro bill. It's been a very good investment. I visit a wi-fi hotspot at least once a month (even if I have internet at home), and each time I surf for at least three hours. As I always have my Powerbook with me, a visit to Starbucks usually means I can surf while enjoying my cafe mocha.
(An aside; people sometimes ask, "Don't you every get tired of the internet? You're online at home and at work; why do you have to go online when you go out?" My answer is "no, I never get tired of the internet." There's really no limit to what can be done online these days. My Powerbook is my main communication and information tool, and without the internet, it wouldn't be as powerful a tool.)
Today I was pleasantly surprised to see that Gloria Jean's Megamall, where I get my post-gym caffeine and internet fix, now offers wi-fi for free. They have this big tarp that announces this, and by the look of the place––which was rarely full when I used to drop by––the free wi-fi seems to be attracting its fair share of customers.
There is no doubt in my mind that their profits are going to jump. If there's something I've learned from visiting the online Mac communities, it's that people love free wi-fi. If a hotel, restaurant, or coffee shop offers free wi-fi, you can bet that people attached to their laptops, and consequently, the internet, will visit. When I was looking for a hotel in Legaspi City for me to stay in when I visited last year, my primary consideration was access to the internet; when I want coffee, internet access, not the taste of a cafe's lattes, is my main consideration.
Pretty soon, businesspeople are going to realize that if they want to attract customers, they're going to have to provide free access to the internet, in one form or the other. When that day comes, a lot of laptop-luggers––myself included––are going to be very, very happy.
