It's A Wi-Fi World!

We want to be online, everywhere.  If I can’t access my email at any given time, I get a bit of a nervous tick.  What if something important is happening!  Well worry no longer, because it is a Wi-Fi world!

AT&T, the winner of Wireless Week’s Industry Leader award for its Wi-Fi strategy, integration and growth, recently released some Q1 stats showing just how much this Wi-Fi craze is skyrocketing.

On AT&T’s Wi-Fi Network there were more than 626 million connections in the first 3 months of this year.  Crazy!  That means 79 connections every single second, which is 3x more than in the first quarter last year. 

Another reason we’re so hungry for Wi-Fi?  Who’s not on a budget these days?!  Wi-Fi is *free* for most customers and doesn’t eat into your monthly data plan!  So, to satisfy your craving, here’s a list of 10 places you didn’t know had Wi-Fi.  Enjoy!

•              Buses: MegaBus and Bolt now offer Wi-Fi while on board.  Buses just got way more cool.

•              Courthouses: Some courthouses are now offering Wi-Fi to help you get through the jury duty day that seems to drag on forever! 

•              Zoos: AT&T just launched free Wi-Fi at Manhattan’s Central Park Zoo, so you can upload that pic of you and the monkey immediately!

•              EZ Lube: Waiting for an oil change just got more enjoyable thank s to free Wi-Fi offered to EZ Lube customers.

•              Gyms: Many gyms including Equinox and Gold’s Gym now offer free Wi-Fi to their patrons so they can stay online and stay in shape!

•              Laundromat: The dreaded chore of laundry has become much more enjoyable as some Laundromats offer Wi-Fi for customers to use when they aren’t folding clothes!

•              Parks: This one is my favorite.  Catch up on your emails while soaking in the greenery of your local park!  AT&T has launched free Wi-Fi at 21 park locations in NYC.  It’s the new big thing.

•              Special Events:  From the Super Bowl to the huge Coachella concert, many special events are now offering Wi-Fi.  In fact, AT&T’s Wi-Fi coverage at Coachella 2012 covered an area totaling 45 football fields!

•              Grocery Stores:  In case you need to compare prices, nutritional information, or check that recipe you always forget, many grocery stores are now offering their patrons Wi-Fi service. 

•              Stadiums:  Stay connected during the most exciting moments of the game with Wi-Fi at the stadium!  Joining many East Coast sports arenas that are now offering Wi-Fi, The Honda Center recently announced that AT&T Wi-Fi has been installed throughout the venue.  This makes Honda Center one of the first entertainment venues on the West Coast to offer free Wi-Fi!

COACHELLA CONTINUES!

Coachella is back. It’s not a double take, but part two of the first-ever two-weekend span for the largest music festival in the country.

AT&T has basically turned the entire space into a giant WiFi hotspot (they cover the space of 45 football fields!).  So if you are headed out for some festival action this weekend, here's a few tips on how to maximize your experience.  

CHECK THE WEATHER

If you don’t yet have a weather app on your phone, download one now and keep tabs on weather predictions for the festival.  Add “Coachella, CA” to the locations you follow to keep up-to-date.  Temperature predictions for this weekend are currently upwards of 100 degrees!  

CHECK OUT THE SONGS

Look up bands ahead of time on YouTube to see if you like any music that you may not have heard before.  Better yet, check out a Spotify playlist.  Many users have created Coachella playlists so you can get in the mood before the shows!

CHECK YOUR BATTERY

You don’t want to be halfway through the day and run out of charge on your phone!  Make sure you head to the festival with a fully charged phone.  Don’t forget to bring a charger with you, or invest in a solar charger so you can fuel up without an outlet.   You can also take advantage of the charging stations at the festival, some of which even provide chargers for you. 

CHECK OUT COACHELLA APP

Of course, there’s an app for that!  The Coachella app is available on iPhone and Android.  You can see the performance schedule, look up the venue and parking maps, view the shuttle maps and even create Coachella postcards!

SXSW LITERALLY GOING TO THE STREETS!!

The latest buzz on the streets of Austin is centered around those who live there.  Homeless Hotspots is an experiment employing 13 homeless in the community to carry 4G wireless routers and serve as hotspots for SXSW visitors.  Users can get connected in exchange for a donation- $2 for 15 minutes- payable directly to the homeless host himself over paypal.

The campaign, launched by ad agency BBH Labs, was intended as a “charatible innovation initiative” (according to their website homelesshotspots.org).    Mass sentiment, however, seems to view the campaign as dehumanizing rather than inspiring.  

One key flaw here is the t-shirts.  Each Homeless Hotspot host is wearing a t-shirt that says: “I’m (fill in his/her name), a 4G hotspot.”  The wording of this implies they are a product.  Why not, “Need a 4G hotspot? Ask Me!”  Switching around a few key words makes the message much more empowering.

What do you think?  Is this program helpful or harmful?