Staying Connected While You Get Away from it All
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Like using the internet while you travel? I’m addicted, both for business and personal reasons. But finding a way to log in to email, etc. while at a timeshare has been a challenge. Now we’re getting somewhere, though.
5G Wireless Communications, Inc. has entered into a service agreement with ICOA, Inc., a national provider of wireless broadband internet access and network services to high-traffic public venues. The agreement provides for state-of-the-art Wi-Fi service and support to timeshare resorts across the United States.
Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity. It’s a way to connect with the internet without a direct, wire plug-in. You need a special device in your computer, phone, or PDA (most come with them these days) and as long as you are in close proximity to a “hotspot” or wireless access point, you can hop on the internet and check email, change your plane reservations, buy theatre tickets, share your vacation photos with friends and family, or even order pizza delivery. Many cafes, like Starbucks, offer this around the world.
ICOA, Inc. reports that presently fewer than 25 percent of timeshare properties offer Wi-Fi capabilities, yet 37 percent of vacation travelers bring their laptop computers with them during vacation and timeshare travel, and that’s a number that increases all the time.
Once the new services are in place, timeshare owners or renters will typically be able to access Wi-Fi services on a daily, three-day, or weekly subscription basis. As an internet user, you should expect to see branded sign-on pages for each resort, and be able to easily access many convenient features including online payment for use of the service itself.
ICOA Wi-Fi services are currently used at Trump Hotels, Ramada Inns, and numerous campgrounds, airports, and hotspot locations across the country.