Is your listing equipped with WiFi?

[Jenny]

Hi everyone!

The internet has become almost indispensable these days. Whether it's finding the address of a good local restaurant, organising an outing, finding answers to questions or just scrolling through social networks, the internet has many uses and is a significant help for many people.

There are people who sometimes prefer to go on holiday far from the hustle and bustle of the city and "disconnect" for a weekend to enjoy some peace and quiet.

As a result, some accommodations do not necessarily need a Wi-Fi connection, and others may not even have the choice of one due to their location!

Do you offer Wi-Fi in your accommodation? Why did you make this decision?

Take care,

Jenny

[Ann35401]

We Would love to offer wifi. Unfortunately, we are in a rural area with only one carrier. Slow and expensive. We aren't getting bookings lately,and I think this is why. But hard to pay out $100 a month. 

[Jenny]

Your listing is absolutely beautiful, @Ann35401! Abundant with places to enjoy being in water outdoors.  That's my idea of heaven!

I do hope your bookings pick up - there must be a market for those who are looking for a digital detox - and where better than somewhere with all the nature and water a person could want!

Jenny

[Ann72]

@Ann35401 @Jenny  There is a huge discrepancy in WiFi speeds in the US.  Rural areas are massively underserved.  I won't post my WiFi speed on my listing because urban people looking at it will think it's a deal-breaker.  They want a getaway in the Maine woods but they want full digital access at the same time 🙂  

[Marian2838]

Good afternoon Jenny

Yes, all my accommodation have Wi-Fi. As you know no one can be with out internet these days. But my two main reasons are, that our phone signals are very bad, then the wi-fi helped so that at least people have a way of contacting the outside world. The other reason is, we do not have TV's in the rooms. So if people want to watch a movie, there is wi-fi.  

[Fatih13]

I think it is very important for Airbnb hosts to offer Internet at home, the Internet is no longer a hobby and a luxury, but a part of our lives. Communication is very important in every sense. When the internet is wifi, the person feels more free. Have a nice day.

[Dejan93]

Hi Jenny.

Fast WiFi is a must in todays hosting.

I pay 31 euro for fast internet and cable TV.

Last few years I shared this bill with neighbour apartment, but recently signal starts to be weak and we decide to have separate accounts.

[Debra300]

@Jenny,

The issue that we frequently see is that guests rely solely upon the internet for their communications needs, and won't pay for international roaming or to buy a local prepaid phone chip (just about everyone has an old phone laying around that can be cheaply unlocked and used during travel).  Instead they will ask us to make calls for them, or they have the gall to ask strangers to use their phones just because they didn't want to spend an amount that shouldn't be an impact to their travel budgets (a person probably shouldn't be on holiday if they cannot absorb the cost for communication).  For example, one of our local mobile providers charges only $32 XCD (about 10-12 $/€/£) per week for unlimited talk, text, 10gb of data and 7gb each for six streaming apps.

Last week we were picking up guests from downtown, and they didn't have mobile data.  When we arrived at the bus stop, they weren't there.  I ended up calling their phone number in Canada in an attempt to reach them.  After about 20 minutes, I received a call from an unknown local number, and it was the guests who said that they were at a local bakery because they were looking for someone to borrow a phone.  They almost missed their ride during a very heavy rain because I was about to leave.  I recommended to them to invest in a local phone number because there can be instances when they urgently need to contact someone for emergency assistance and borrowing a phone or finding wifi isn't possible.

[Sudsrung0]

@Debra300 

We have a guest like that now traveling around the world no internet, 

Can buy a local sim card at the airport cheap enough here, 

[Rick4645]

I am in a rural area where cable internet is not an option and satellite internet is slow, expensive and unreliable. My option is 4G Cellular wi-fi which averages about 3 Mbps.

I do not have the Wi-Fi box checked as an amenity. I note in my listing that I offer it as a courtesy only with no guarantees. I also advise guests if they want guaranteed internet, they need to bring their own Hot Spot.

Some hosts here come across as rather entitled when they say a listing must have Wi-Fi. It's not available everywhere, and no it is not a necessity.

But I am catering to outdoors people who have real lives and would rather spend time on the water or hiking than attached to the internet. 

[Helen427]

Good on you @Rick4645 

I live reasonably close to where there's 5g Towers yet struggle at times to get the internet.

As a result I don't offer it and most Guests are happy to detox from the Internet and have a chinwag.

Those who do need to access more than what's on their devices have a nearby Library and other places they can use the internet.

One of my recent Guests works in the Medical Profession and had her Phone go in the drink when out Kayaking overseas and was unable to access all her Documents, including Banking and Vaccine information.

Another was traveling around New Zealand for a few weeks and happy to do without the internet connection, others logged in where needed to to randomly check emails, let's be real here, an email is simply an electronic form of mail..

We never used to get mail everyday, and we didn't check our letterboxes to see if any mail had arrived - or if one lived in the countryside it was the same Postal Deliveryman who delivered Telephone ordered Groceries, (home delivered Groceries are not new, nor are Mail Order items!!),  as often as people check emails, do we?

Plus we Worked From Home remotely as we produced Food and were too busy doing out and about jobs!!! 🙂

Bring back the Good ole days of Electrical and Telecommunications lines above ground so the Birds can have a perch and the Trees can grow where they once upon did, instead of all the concrete and roads that have wrecked the natural environment.

Oh, did you know that it's around 100 years ago they had 'Wireless' and was the era of commencement of Electricity and Telephone communications?

The wise one's before us planted trees in such a manner the trunks would be used for Power/ Telephone lines.

Very happy to report @Jenny  folk across the world still love having the feel of Paper to read and in my home they appreciate seeing pamphlets and books to see what they may like to do. during their stay.

How was your trip away and been away from internet access @Jenny ?

[Lester57]

Jenny - It is interesting to read about some of the challenges other hosts face in trying to supply internet access. As we improve technology, I trust that companies like Facebook and Starlink can help to provide free internet access to a larger range of places at lower and lower prices. Access to reliable internet really determines how much exposure you get. Perhaps even Airbnb can help build networks with hosts.

[Lekh-Chand0]

These days almost all guests enquiring about high speed wi fi n has become need of the hour.I myself using extensively wi fi for work from home to make investment n making various financial transactions.It is definitely indispensable.I have provided wi fi with 150 mbps in my listed properties too n found no complaints from guests so far.It will definitely add to your occupancy.Smart tv n wi fi r much preferred things.In rural areas where no wi fi facilities, guests are open to enjoy the nature all around n may interact with people to understand their living n culture.

[Nicole2223]

I'm going to repost what I shared in response to this subject last year, as my position on it hasn't changed.  I continue to strive for finding guests that are more interested in digital detox and outdoor pursuits than those that would choose a property based on it's internet capabilities. 

That said, I've not had a single booking since the winter release took effect....

Here's my reply from April 2022 to the post titled "Have you noticed the new wifi speed tool? Use it to help attract remote workers":

I'm not a fan of {the internet speed tool} as I live in an area that does not offer high-speed internet and the service we DO have is highly variable. So if at the time that I run the speed test we are having a good day, it will reflect information to a guest that is not necessarily going to be true during their stay.

I've been avoiding offering internet since we first started hosting in 2020, given the nature of our locale and the poor quality internet.  However, since we need it for home automation devices like the door lock and doorbell camera, people notice that we have it and ask for the password. Since internet data on the services in my area is not unlimited, I have just indicated that wifi is not available to guests. A recent change in our internet service has made it possible to get more than 25GB per month (yes, what some people can use in a day is what we get per month)...and since our home automation devices only use about 2 GB/month, I decided to start offering it to guests.  My main concern was that we would get complaints about the terribly slow speeds - especially if the monthly allotment is used by one group and the next group would suffer as a result.

[Gillian166]

@Nicole2223  we are in a similar situation, and I do offer free wifi but I warn guests that we are on "country internet" and most Aussies understand that is pretty unreliable, and so far zero guests have complained. I also prefer guests who are coming up for the digital detox, and am often surprised when I see guests turn up, close the curtains and put on the TV and stay there for hours... what are they paying a lot of money to sit on my couch and watch the telly? can't they do that at home?? 😂 oh well.  I'm just disappointed in them for not "getting it" with regard to enjoying the country location, each to their own! 

I have over 50 board games that we offer instead of tuning into the TV to be programmed.... 😆

[Debra300]

@Gillian166,

It could be that some folks actually don't have the time at home to sit on their couch and just watch TV uninterrupted and without distractions, and relish having the opportunity to do so at your place.

During our check-in walk-throughs when showing guests the streaming services that we offer we frequently have them tell us that they didn't come to the island to watch television.   Yet almost all of our guests do spend a fair amount of available beach or exploration time inside, and we can hear their TVs when passing through the hallway.