A new study from iPass Mobile has concluded that 40% of respondents agreed that Wi-Fi is more important than sex, chocolate, or alcohol. This report analyzes some of the biggest connectivity trends affecting mobile professionals in the U.S and Europe, and it sheds some new light on the importance of a good Wi-Fi connection.
Having a good Wi-Fi connection on the go is becoming essential with tools like VPN and remote login making remote work faster and more accessible for mobile users. The study found that 21% of mobile professionals and 35% of individuals making travel plans based their selections on Wi-Fi quality and availability. However, 75% of individuals traveling agreed that fast and powerful Wi-Fi on a trip makes it more enjoyable.
Patricia Hume, from iPass, explains how Wi-Fi affects travel choices: “even at 30,000 feet, with more than a third of respondents having selected their airline based on its Wi-Fi connectivity offerings. Long gone are the days when Wi-Fi was only a ‘nice-to-have’ at airports and in-flight. Mobile professionals are no longer content to sit and wait for their flights. Instead, they want to remain productive or just unwind during this valuable time.”
Is Public Wi-Fi Dangerous?
The only negative thing about this trend is that privacy isn’t something that most travelers consider. Even though most Wi-Fi hot spots have warnings built into their log-in screens, Wi-Fi users don’t realize how dangerous and vulnerable public Wi-Fi spots can be.
According to the study, 66% of mobile professionals claimed to be worried about security–but only 38% of users admit that they had ever used a VPN before, which proves that a significant amount of users are actively vulnerable to data loss and other forms of malicious intent in public Wi-Fi spaces.
Some of the most popular mobile VPNs for mobile workers include the likes of TorGuard, PIA, and ExpressVPN since each one of these VPNs are fast and works well across the globe.
