Boingo Wherever You Go

So many of us are addicted to being online that when we either lose access or must pay some exorbitant fee to get access, we react as if we can't get our daily drug fix. One of my friends figured out she spent several hundred dollars a month in access fees in airports and hotels, so she bought a USB WiFi card. Unfortunately, she soon found that it only works intermittently with a weak signal in far too many places.

Since I will be traveling overseas, the USB card solution does not work for me, instead I am signing up for Boingo which allows me to access multiple strong connections worldwide for as little as $7.95 a month (for mobile phones) or $9.95 (for laptops) in the Americas. With over 125,000 hotspots, there is bound to be one nearby.

A subscription to Boingo allows you to use the airport or hotel connections you would probably end up paying for, but for a flat one time fee. One example is that you get access to the Marriott Wifi (and other international hotel chains) for the subscription, but instead of paying $20 a DAY for using it, you pay $9.95 a MONTH. And the monthly subscription allows you to use it in any of the hotspot locations they have in their system, including Starbucks cafes.

I checked and they have several locations even in tiny villages in France and in Athens, so their coverage will fit my needs perfectly for a great low price. You may cancel the subscription at any time, so there is no contract to tie you in at the low rate, unlike the USB WiFi cards. My friend is going to Boingo as soon as her contract expires and she will save $50 a month when she does; she is chalking up her expensive contract as the cost of learning a life lesson.