Digital nomads’ planning to work from sun-drenched paradises this summer have been warned to ‘plan ahead’ to ensure good WiFi for their working holidays, after a study revealed that a majority of travellers have struggled with slow connection speeds.
The research by property monitor Minut found that 60% of guests have been forced to use their personal hotspots due to woeful WiFi. This includes 7% who always resort to hotspots during their stays.
Nils Mattisson, CEO and Co-Founder of Minut, has warned workers to plan ahead of their ‘workcations’ to avoid connectivity issues – as well as potentially costly data fees if they exceed their monthly data caps.
The former Apple engineer said remote workers should look out for vacation rental listings with ‘fast WiFi’ and a ‘dedicated workspace.’
He also recommended asking hosts and property managers to provide the results of a speed test, as well as asking about nearby coworking spaces or cafés as backup options.
This comes as YouGov research recently found that 37% of Brits who are able to work remotely plan on taking a working holiday this year, with the proportion even higher among those aged 18-34 (61%).
Nils Mattisson, CEO and Co-Founder of Minut, said:
“So many of us have much more flexibility around work than ever before. Whether we’re travelling for work or simply working from our holiday destinations, new technology makes it incredibly easy to stay connected and enjoy a great work-life balance.
“While you can trust the WiFi at home, it is frustrating when you arrive at a holiday rental to find the connection is not strong enough for your next team meeting.
“The secret to avoiding weak WiFi and poor working set-ups is to plan ahead before your stay.
“If you’re booking through Airbnb, look for listings with ‘fast WiFi’ listed. Airbnb actually offers an internet speed test to hosts which then shows the speed of their connection on their listing page. Another feature to look out for is a ‘dedicated workspace’, so you won’t need to blur your background sitting on the sofa.
“If you can’t find any information in the description on the work set-up, try messaging the host to ask. Ask them to perform a speed test, and see if they can recommend any coworking spaces or cafés nearby as a back-up.
“Smart home technology is a good signal as it also relies on wifi to operate. Any rental property with integrated HVAC, environment monitors or other tech-forward amenities is likely to prioritize great connection, which will benefit you too.”
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