In Western Canada’s urban areas, finding a high-speed, reliable connection to the Internet when you’re on the move has become much easier in the last couple of years.
That’s largely because of Shaw’s rollout of an extensive Wi-Fi network. In downtown Victoria, you can encounter a Shaw signal on almost every block. Shaw has a Wi-Fi presence in towns along the east coast of Vancouver Island. It’s also in major centres around B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There's heavy coverage in Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.
But you have to be a Shaw customer to get access to most of those signals. Wi-Fi comes bundled with Shaw’s home Internet service, in a savvy effort to retain customers. (A colleague deflected an enticing offer from a competitor because he wanted to keep access to Shaw's Wi-Fi network.)
You can sign in at each Shaw hotspot using your Shaw email name and password. But that’s a lot of work. It’s easier to register your devices at Shaw’s website; that allows for auto-connecting whenever you encounter a Shaw signal.
Most of the time, it works fine, though I've had a few occasions where the Wi-Fi icon claims full strength but nothing comes in.
Around Greater Victoria, a variety of businesses offer free Wi-Fi, including B.C. Ferries, Serious Coffee, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Tim Hortons and several shopping malls. The Downtown Victoria Business Association provides outdoor Wi-Fi along several downtown streets. Langford has free Wi-Fi along much of Goldstream Avenue.
Connecting to the free services is usually straightforward; you select their signal, launch a web browser and get directed to a sign-in site with legalese; you accept and you’re connected.
Some places can be a hassle, because you need to register and provide personal information. It's prudent to reject Wi-Fi offers that intrude on your privacy.
With the growth in Wi-Fi hotspots, it's possible to stay reasonably well connected on Wi-Fi alone. I know some people who take that route, skipping cellular data plans altogether.
Travelling further afield, Boingo could be an option. It advertises access to more than a million hotspots around the world, including ones in Victoria. Prices start at $7.95 US a month for a mobile device plan.
I subscribed to Boingo for a couple of trips to England and France, and cancelled after I got home.
The Boingo access was often useful, but I found that some of the hotspots it advertised didn’t exist, had poor signals, or wouldn’t allow me to sign in. A few hotspots required additional payment. Despite those complaints, I would probably subscribe to Boingo again if I go travelling.
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A story at nytimes.com offers advice about safeguards when using public Wi-Fi hotspots.
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Google is planning a satellite network to provide Internet access to areas that don't have it already, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company is considering the launch of dozens of satellites, bringing the Internet to hundreds of millions of people. A Google spokeswoman says two-thirds of the world doesn't have Internet coverage.
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