I often read unboxing posts on Hive and it's painful to see how some users are paying $30 - $40 for a router or a modem, to have the latest technology available in their country and get a device that it's outdated in other countries already.
My country is usually the firs on the list for all the wrong reasons. Shame, I know, but there's one good thing for which we're on the top of the list for good reasons and that is internet and telecommunications (price and speed).
I'm among the lucky ones as my internet and mobile service provider has its rates set in USD and the official UDS/RON rate is manipulated by the government, it is kept at the same level, so the changes are minimal. I'm always paying the same amount and this is not all.
Last month I stopped by the internet provider's office as I needed to change my contract and could not figure out how to do it online (lucky me). I had some business in that area, so I thought why not kill two birds with one stone. After the lady took care of my request, she informed me about their latest offer, according to which, if I were to extend my contract for another 2 years, I could get 50% discount for 4 months. This was a very generous offer, not to mention that all their services are dirt cheap already, compared to similar services in other countries. Two years is a long period, but I have no intention to switch providers as they are the best. So my answer was yes and signed the contract immediately.
I mentioned earlier in my post, how some of our users are paying $30 - $40 for a router or a modem, to have a decent internet connection. These devices are distributed for free by my internet provider and you also have the latest fiber link connection that guarantees you a 940 download / 450 upload speed. If you damage the router, you have to pay, but we're not fan of vandalism, so in most cases these devices become obsolete sooner than they deteriorate, in which case they get replaced with the newest technology available.
Customer service is excellent too. If you have a problem, you can either phone them for help and if that is not possible, they come in an hour and take care of whatever problem you have. Both cable and internet services are reliable, there are hardly ever any problems.
We live in a digital era, where a fast and reliable internet connection is key. I don't want to make a list of services we are using on a daily bases, that are depending on a fast internet service. If you live in a developed country, you are aware already.
This is not a temporary situation. Technology is developing with a breakneck speed and the more we advance, the more we reply on internet. I'm not talking about individual only, or household users, but companies as well.
Any internet provider knows how much we rely on their services and most likely some are taking advantage of the situation, by pumping prices. This is where the government should step in, work out a plan and support the industry. Should be a priority. Again, I'm not talking about my country as we're ok in this regard. I'm talking about other countries, where the infrastructure is weak to say the least and services are bad and expensive.
As I mentioned, we live in a digital era, where remote working is not just possible, but gaining ground every day. Attracting digital nomads is happening in a lot of countries but when it comes to decision making, internet costs and speed is one of the most important factors to take into consideration. Foreign investments are also dependents on reliable internet and telecommunication services, that is a no brainer.
Some of you, from African and South American countries may laugh at my post. Not because it's stupid, but because these countries are facing regular load shedding. If there's no electricity, there's no internet either, so ... you know, the electricity problems should be addressed first, before we can talk about reliable internet.
People tend to take everything for granted and I'm not any different. I'm used to this fast and cheap internet and tend to forget that I'm privileged in this regard and if I leave the country, I need to take into consideration much higher fees when making my budget and maybe settle for a less speed.
I'm just a very little drop in the big ocean, but I hope things are going to change in better in the near future.
If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides:
