Comments on: So much for a connected planet http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:35:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Ranjeet http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173652 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:04:56 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173652 Seems like no one heard of Boingo Global http://boingo.com/ ?
They even have Crown Plaza – Tel Aviv in their list http://www.boingo.com/search.html?pgt=results&lid=51550

]]> By: Om Malik http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173651 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:29:23 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173651 Ami,

thanks for the refund offer, but i have to politely decline. I think the point is not that your hotel charged this much, but it is that hotels with the highest tariffs charge for wifi, which should be offered as a convenience and a service like say free instant coffee pouches.

hotel managements don’t seem to understand that connectivity is the way to go. Anyway, jeese brings up a good point: why do some of the budget hotels give away wifi for free.

]]> By: Justin-Josef Angel [MVP] http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173650 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:53:32 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173650 Hey Om,

I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this – You’ve offically been ripped off.
I’m based in Israel and I pay 170 NIS (roughly 40$) for one month of cellular broadband access.
I’m guessing you have a cell phone. If you’d like normally priced cellular access just ask your Israeli roaming provider to rent a cellular modem.

BTW, I’ve been to your talk yesterday at the microsoft blogger meeting. Great talk, you really gave me something to think about. Keep up the great work.

]]> By: JaneLame http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173649 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:39:12 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173649 This one’s for Ami from Crowne Plaza: what about the rest of your customers? Just the ones who run influential technology blogs and post your outrageous prices get the refund? So much for equality.

  • Adar, Tel-Aviv.
]]> By: Dorian Banks http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173648 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:56:28 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173648 Isn’t it a bit obvious why the more expensive the hotel the more expensive the WiFi?? If you are paying $500/night you obviously have enough money to afford $19.95 access vs. paying $79/night.

Starwood Hotels are perfectly tiered in such a manner. Four Points = $9.95, Sheraton = $14.95, Westin = $14.95 and $19.95, Luxury Collection = $24.95 (all prices are what I have roughly found, of course with exceptions).

Dorian

]]> By: Jesse Kopelman http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173647 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:07:45 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173647 Why is it that the more expensive a hotel, the more likely they are to charge you for Internet Access. In my travels, it has almost always been free in < $150 rooms and almost never been free in > $150 rooms. Similar philosophy to cars, I guess, as often < $20,000 cars have more standard doodads than > $30,000 cars.

]]> By: none http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173646 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:01:56 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173646 In India, all “5-star” hotels charge approximmately Rs. 1000 ($25) per DAY for wifi or wired broadband access. Leela in Bangal;ore charges a little higher ($30/day).

]]> By: martin varsavsky http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173645 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:26:51 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173645 Sorry Om, Fon is not in Israel yet!

]]> By: Nir Ohayon http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173644 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:21:53 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173644 Hi OM,
I saw you yesterday at the cocktail party in TA at ‘Concha’ bar, I didn’t have the chance to meet you (lots of people around you) and present our website. If you have some spare time I would be more than happy to meet you and present our Web2.0 startup.
Cheers,
Nir Ohayon
P.S. Enjoy Israel…

]]> By: francine hardaway http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173643 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:18:14 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173643 Yep. It was like that in Thailand, too. Everything dirt cheap and $150 USD for three days of Internet access. Same in Malaysia. And last year I took a Mediterranean cruise. That was $500 for ten days of access. It really makes you mad, doesn’t it…

]]> By: Moshe Maeir http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173642 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:20:04 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173642 Om, that reminds me, at Von Europe a couple of weeks ago Hjalmar Winblath of Rebtel quipped that it is cheaper for hotels to provide Wifi than it is to maintain the public bathrooms, but hotels do not charge for bathroom use…

In any case I would like to thank Om for taking part in the Blogference. His presentations were very interesting. If any of you are interested in hearing more about what when on there, you can read a report in my blog.

]]> By: ami duty manager http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173641 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:50:39 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173641 dear om

sorry for the inconvenience you are enduring with the wi-fi internet provider.

You are kindly requested to contact me. We’d be glad to provide you, as a once good will gesture, from the hotel’s part, a 24 hours free of charge.

please contact me trough the reception

best regards,
ami

]]> By: Chris http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173640 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:39:43 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173640 Eddie-

It’s time for your nap – you’re getting cranky!!!!

]]> By: Marc Siry http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173639 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:51:42 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173639 Getting a Verizon USB EVDO modem has been the best thing I ever did for my Macbook (no PC card slot). The slower speed more than makes up for having to whip out a credit card and pay $9.95 for twenty minutes of surfing at an airline gate.

Of course, the CDMA wouldn’t have worked for you in Tel Aviv, but there are similar offerings from AT&T and T-Mobile that would.

The hotel is charging what the market will bear. You can’t live without your connection, and they know it. The only option is to bring your connection with you.

]]> By: Tal http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173638 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 09:44:11 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173638 Om,
Welcome to Israel. I know its a short notice but we would love for you to visit our offices in Herzliya while you’re here… Hope you can make it.

]]> By: Eddie http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173637 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 09:21:29 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/07/01/so-much-for-a-connected-planet/#comment-173637 Oh Om, you mean, heaven forbid, San Francisco and Silicon Valley is not the Center of the World?

Oh Gavin Newsom, oh Google free Wifi mesh network this mesh network that.

Google is everything, Google is “god”, Google Google Google you are the world Google. Nothing else exists anywhere on the planet named Earth. Its Google in Silicon Valley or nothing else.

Such a revelation. Om needs to travel and get out of S.F. more often and not just to the East.

Oh Copernicus, where art thou Copernicus?

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