With today’s busy lifestyle, it seems crucial to stay connected with your loved ones and business associates wherever you go. There are many things you can plan to do during a day, and often you have to keep everything under control. This refers to both housework and work duties. The availability of the Internet 24 hours a day can make many things easier. You will not have to be aware of the time to be in the office to hold a conference, for example. Just grab a laptop and make sure you can find free and reliable Wi-Fi to join the meeting on time. Similarly, you can travel abroad and take your smartphone, tablet or laptop with you to get in touch with your loved ones anytime you need by starting a free public Wi-Fi hotspot. That said, it becomes understandable why the predominant number of cities around the world tend to organize free zones for local residents and tourists. However, is the technology as reliable and secure as it seems? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of this technology below.
Positive aspects of free Wi-Fi in the city
As mentioned above, free public Wi-Fi makes it possible for people from different corners of the world to stay connected at any time of the day. This is undoubtedly one of the main benefits of this technology. Among other merits of the technology, it also makes sense to note the following:
- Enhanced travel experience (the opportunity to check your email, talk or exchange messages with the people you love and miss)
- Business benefits (if you have an urgent conference, meeting or presentation to hold, but are really pressed for time, you can do it from anywhere, where Wi-Fi services are provided free of charge)
- The opportunity to plan your day wisely (you don’t have to put off personal or business tasks if you have the opportunity to connect to the Wi-Fi network anywhere you need)
- 24/7 availability, which means there are dozens (if not hundreds) of free Wi-Fi hotspots in almost any city. So why not take the risk of using them when necessary? That is an undeniable benefit, indeed!
In the list above there are only several advantages of this advanced technique. Now, it’s time to discuss the cons of the option to realize what to be prepared for.
Negative aspects of using free Wi-Fi in public places
We have already pointed out that most cities in the world offer free Wi-Fi today and millions of people use the service without realizing the possible negative effects they may face. Some of the negatives include:
- The need for owners of cafes, restaurants and other places that offer free Wi-Fi to handle a series of technical and financial problems. This is triggered by the fact that setting up the network with numerous access points is not an easy task, which requires dealing with technical issues. This is not as simple as you can see and the process always requires additional financial investments. That is the main reason why many restaurants, hotels and other public establishments offer the service only to their customers.
- If the city government decides to launch the Wi-Fi network, this will also require significant financial expenditure. As a result, they may raise different taxes to solve the problem. Consequently, “free” Wi-Fi will not be absolutely free.
- Privacy concerns also matter a lot when it comes to using free Wi-Fi in public places. If the mobile device you are going to use to connect to the network is not properly protected, you face higher risks of falling victim to professional hackers. They can use your personal information for different malicious purposes without your being aware of the fact. This is a serious problem that concerns most governments today.