It’s been nearly five years since the United Nations declared access to the internet as a human right. But having something as a right and being able to afford it are two different things.
I acknowledge from the outset that what I’m about to address is a “first-world problem” given that many people don’t even have the devices they need to connect to the net let alone broadband access.
What I am addressing is the wildly fluctuating price of internet access for those of us who travel. It can range from free — totally free where it’s provided by governments (at bus stops in parts of Italy for example) or sponsored by corporations (such as at airports), or free-with-a- purchase, as it is at many, bars, cafes and coffee shops — up to well, name a figure and double it.
A friend once came back to Australia after a couple of weeks in New Zealand with a bill for more than A$1000 (which was then worth about US$1000) because he’d forgotten to turn off data roaming. If he’d signed up for a plan before hand, it would have been less than a tenth of the cost. Given that the actual cost of providing the service was the same, the only difference was the mark-up applied — and perhaps the way the providers in New Zealand and Australia divvied up the spoils.
As readers of this blog know, I sail a lot. One of the few things that annoys me is the high cost of internet access on the high seas. My conviction is that although satellite internet is not cheap, passengers are paying too much above the actual price of provision. Why? Because costs differ between cruise lines. What costs about US$55 with one company costs $150 with another. It’s a similar situation with airlines, if internet access is offered at all.
The simple fact is that providers and the middle-men are having a laugh at our expense. Phone companies and other internet service providers around the world have agreements on sharing costs when a customer from one country visits another; just as banks have agreements on interchange fees when I use my debit or credit card abroad. Certainly there is an additional cost, but it is marginal. However, when they can, big corporations will take advantage. And it’s time for travellers to complain enough about it to get governments to act on capping prices to this essential service.
Update: I am now at a hotel that wants to charge me more than $5 for an hour of WiFi access. They’ve got to be joking.
