Welcome to Internet Freedom: Introducing Portable WiFi
UtilityNet is proud to announce a partnership with Skyroam to provide portable WiFi services to customers across Alberta! The addition of Skyroam and the Solis Lite hotspot device means we can now offer a more well-rounded Internet service suite, alongside Cable and DSL Internet.
As many rural customers can attest to, Internet connectivity is a problem. When your nearest neighbour is a kilometer away, it’s difficult for large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to set up the same wired infrastructure that exists in urban regions. Enter wireless solutions that require a receiver mounted on your rooftop to receive either satellite or fixed wireless signals.
But, in our opinion, these aren’t always great solutions for customers. What if your home is surrounded by trees or hills and does not have good line of sight to the nearest tower? What about inclement weather? How would you know if fixed wireless or satellite Internet would work at your home? Without a technician visit, it’s impossible to tell.
On the other hand, our portable WiFi works using cellular signals, and determining cellular signal strength is simple to do yourself using your cell phone. With Skyroam and its portable WiFi device, the Solis Lite, lack of Internet in rural regions can be a problem of the past!
WiFi in a Hockey Puck
The Solis Lite is a bright orange product that is roughly the size of a hockey puck and can broadcast a WiFi signal to up to 10 devices. It does so using virtual SIM technology, which is to say it connects to local cellular networks to become a portable WiFi hotspot. The advantage over cell data is that your device isn’t restricted to one carrier network; you get them all!
The device itself weighs only about 140g (just under 5 ounces), so it’s incredibly light and barely noticeable in a backpack. For comparison, it’s just over half the weight of a typical cell phone.
Charging the Solis is easy; it comes with a short USB charging cable (in matching orange) that you can plug into virtually any USB charging brick. Three hours for a full charge will get you through an entire day before needing to plug it in again before bed.
Prioritize Your Cell Data
Using a Skyroam device provides you with Internet access in remote areas where you’re not likely to find a free, public WiFi hotspot connection. Unlike traditional Internet services, which are tied to a modem that has to be plugged in at your house, the Solis Lite hotspot can be carried with you wherever you go.
Consider this: Many of us pay for monthly Internet plans, but we spend 40 hours a week outside of the house while at work. That’s roughly a third of the waking hours in a month not spent taking advantage of an Internet connection that’s on all the time. With Skyroam, you get to take your Internet with you, which means you’re not paying for lost time.
The obvious advantage here is that you don’t need to use your precious (and pricey) cellular data when you could be getting unlimited data at a set price through your Solis Lite. You never have to worry about going over your limit!
WiFi Wherever You Go
A long time ago, in a time where it was still possible, I used to travel all over the world. I’ve trekked through the Amazon jungle, sailed down the Mekong River, gone dune-jumping in the Sahara Desert, and safaried across the Serengeti. And in each location, I’ve taken hundreds of photos to document my adventures.
But, as is indicative of my generation, I wasn’t able to document those journeys on social media - at least not until I got back to a hotel lobby where I’d sit and wait patiently for a WiFi signal. My dilemma was two-fold: 1) The spontaneity of sharing an adventure online was completely lost, and 2) I was bombarding my feed with a day’s worth of posts from whichever faraway timezone I was in.
Such is the trouble with international travel. You either spend a fortune on roaming data plans (with possible overage charges that will destroy your wallet), or you rely on hotel lobby WiFi that is shady at best. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon Skyroam before my trip to Tanzania.
Picture this: You’ve spent the day driving across the Serengeti in your safari jeep. You’ve seen herds of roaming zebra, the hyenas that stalk them, and giraffes majestically emerging from a stand of trees. All day you’ve waited to find some lions when suddenly your driver locates a group of females who are resting in the tall grass. Now imagine being able to share this amazing moment on social media from that very spot!
More Than Just Instagram
Naturally, WiFi access while abroad is more than just millennial vanity. It’s also a way to work outside of the office, keep in touch with loved ones, and sometimes Google Map your way to that museum or tourist attraction.
On my first trip to Japan, I arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, where I had to catch a train into the city. Upon arrival at Tokyo Station (a city unto itself), I had to find the right exit and then locate my hotel. Knowing that I would be faced with Japanese signs that I would not be able to read, I printed off Google Maps of where to go and how to get there. Sadly, no amount of paper would save me from getting lost and dragging my luggage all over downtown Tokyo. (If you’ve never been to Tokyo, that feeling of being overwhelmed is pretty much what you’d expect if you time-travelled to a neon city in the far-flung future with flying cars…)
I learned from my experience and took a Skyroam device with me on my next trip. Turning it on and having a digital Google Map to guide me to the hotel (after flying many hours and arriving late at night) with a life-saver! Trains in Japan also run on a very tight schedule (they are precise down to the second), and all train schedules can be found on an app called HyperDia. I can’t tell you how invaluable it was to know exactly how to get to the train stations, but also when trains would be arriving.
Get In On The Fun
Sign up now for one of our portable WiFi services and get access to global data plans that will work across all major cellular networks in Canada AND in over 130 countries worldwide. Each plan offers unlimited data, which means no hidden or overage charges. Choose a plan that suits your needs by selecting the amount of data you will receive at high speed each month, and never worry about being cut off or paying exorbitant fees. And unlike cellphone data plans, there are no fees to connect additional devices!
If there weren’t enough reasons to sign up for portable WiFi services with UtilityNet, when you do you’ll get your first month FREE!*
*Some restrictions apply. Fees upon sign-up still apply (device, shipping, and GST). Free month of service based on Activation Date. Contact Customer Care for more details.