During the past three weeks on the road as a Digital Nomad, I have experienced some of Ireland’s best – I’ve admired the coast of Clonakilty, raised my glass in Cork’s quaintest pubs, walked on the cobblestones of Dublin, cruised the Ring of Kerry, cheered for Tipperary in their championship hurling match, bid in the famous Merlin Car Auction, peered over the Cliffs of Moher and chased the pigs in Timoleague.
Accessing a Hot Spot in Killarney, Ireland
Life as a Digital Nomad suits me well as I enjoy a focused life of work, sleep and fun. Many of life’s distractions such as tending to a home, visiting with friends and family and volunteering are gone and I’m able to use this extra time to keep up with projects at work, plus take on a few new ones and still take in the culture in the evening.
Life isn’t all easy. I miss those distractions and often wish I could teleport back to my house for an evening so I could cook dinner in my kitchen for my friends and family…while volunteering.
I also struggle to stay connected when I’m not in the office. I posted earlier this month on 3 Mistakes Any Traveling Worker Can Make, which touched on the importance of research when looking for a remote, “temporary” office. I’ve had many failed attempts to find free or affordable WiFi and am amazed at how mood altering “WiFi-Disappointment” can be. Which leads me to say, man cannot live on free WiFi alone!
Many teleworkers might claim to have achieved it but it’s just not wise to spend half a morning looking for a signal. Most commuters’ hourly rate would quickly make scouring for a signal financially enviable.
Recently I bit the bullet and subscribed to Boingo’s Europe-wide WiFi Plus plan and for roughly $35/month Will and I can enjoy WiFi access at hotspots scattered all over Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. The price is minimal when you consider the possibility of living “WiFi-Disappointment” free.
This weekend (our last in Ireland!) I was able to locate several hotspots during my journey up the west coast. I caught up with a developer via the new GlobalMeet iPhone app in Killarney, resolved a site error with a colleague in Kenmare and checked a few emails in Bantry before heading out for another adventure. Great online tools are one thing, but having the means to access them is another. Hotspot subscriptions appear to be a great solution for any teleworker on the move.
Do you subscribe to Clear or Boingo? How has your experience been?
Post Feed
Boingo is a great service and super cheap when you use just an iPad or iPhone. It is just 7 dollars a month and it has worked for me perfectly in the last 3 years. I believe the concept is really good and I am surprised not more companies are using it. A different but efficient tool is “business everywhere” from Orange which is a flat fee system for international wireless.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Boingo. You original recommendation was the catalyst for giving it a try. So far so good! And their Twitter customer service is great.