Ridhwansyah [dot] Com

There’s something to be said about the importance of staying connected while you’re on the road, especially if you’re traveling for business. Whether it’s keeping in touch with loved ones or finding out the latest details of crucial meetings and presentations, there’s a reason that business travelers seem to have their cell phones attached to their ears until seconds before the plane departs. After all, when you’re out of the office, staying connected is the only thing you can do to keep up to date. And that can mean big success–or bigger failure–at crucial conferences and meetings.

But the trouble with business travel isn’t keeping in touch on your phone; cell phones are actually extremely reliable devices and work in most areas, except for remote regions where you wouldn’t be planning a conference, anyway. No, the trouble comes when the internet enters the equation. Especially, unfortunately, in the case of hotels and their desire to provide wireless internet.

In most business hotels in Dallas and Chicago, wireless is a given. It is one of the reasons that business travelers choose an establishment. After all, no one wants to get off of the plane, get onto a train, and check into a hotel, only to traipse right back out to find the nearest place to get online. Business travelers rely on these in-room connections because they need to do their work in the room. Whether it’s having a pre-conference call conference call or researching last pieces of data for a presentation, there is a lot to get done.

Only sometimes, it just doesn’t seem to work out with wireless internet. Either the signal keeps dropping, or it doesn’t even reach your room to begin with. Calling down to the front desk often does nothing, because what more can an employee really do than just unplug the router and hope that the signal is stronger the next time? It’s a sticky situation, and one that has resulted in more than one frantic run to a 24-hour Kinko’s, at the cost of precious beauty sleep.

For business travelers who are in need of a better option, though, the time has finally arrived for something that is actually an improvement. Using the technology of towers, instead of the small and limited power of a personal router, WiMax is able to provide a network that offers fast internet no matter where you go. With expansion to major cities including Las Vegas, Chicago, Portland, and Dallas, a wider area is being covered now than ever before. This means that if you’re on the road for business, chances are you are within 30 miles of one of the towers. And this means that you can get right online.

The reason that WiMax is so successful is that it brings together two effective forms of technology and makes them work for a purpose that anyone can identify with. After all, you don’t have to keep turning your cell phone on and off for it to pick up a network, nor do you end up waving it out of your hotel room in frustration. The network is based entirely on the way that cell phone companies are able to provide service, but with an eye for what is needed for anyone who does business–or gets online–from multiple locations. And with more and more people opting for the internet on the go, it makes sense that a company finally realized a fast speed and a network that travels where you do is far more important than any other type of bell or whistle that makes the internet look new while actually accomplishing nothing.

Travel is more and more a part of many Americans lives, whether it’s checking out a  new city for job opportunities, heading off to college, or deciding to relocate long-term. With more and more people deciding to take freelance jobs where they act as their own bosses, it definitely allows for more travel based on leisure, though just as many people find themselves on the road for work-related reasons, too.

Whether you’re making your way through the midwest for business meetings or enjoying the west coast for a two-week long trip, at some point in time, you’re likely going to want to check your email. And while bigger cities and even some smaller towns usually have a cafe or even an internet cafe where computers and wireless internet are available, it can get tough on longer stretches of highway. Even some hotels can’t always promise that their advertised Wi-Fi is going to work.

And while travelers who are just checking their email for leisure purposes might be able to let these sort of things slide, those who are in the middle of any sort of business that is conducted through the internet need a connection with a higher level of reliability. After all, if you’re going to be your own boss, it’s important that you are always reachable. So in these cases, something besides a somewhat reliable wireless internet connection at a mid-range hotel needs to be accessible.

Some people have taken to using their portable devices for getting online, and while this might be great for an occasional check-in email or quick Facebook status update, it doesn’t quite work out for more involved endeavors. Others are looking into WiMax, which provides a connection method that travels wherever you’re going. This means that, unless you are in a particularly barren stretch of land where there isn’t much in the way of cell phone coverage either, the internet will be there when you need it to be. Whether from a hotel room after a long stretch of driving or the living room of your new apartment in your new hometown, getting online is based more on pressing the power button for your laptop than anything else.

This is also a huge blessing for travelers who are on the road with younger members of the family, especially for that time in transit. After all, you might start out on a road trip with the best of intentions, a lot of juice boxes, and everyone’s favorite television shows and movies on DVD. But after a few hours of driving, sometimes children start to get impatient and want to watch something else or play a favorite video game. If there is a WiMax-enabled laptop in the car, it’s possible for real-time activities, including streaming video and even chatting, for teenagers who want to keep in touch with their friends back home. Both parents and children will find the trip considerably more enjoyable with this option in place.

So no matter your reasons for being on the road, consider the benefits of looking into better ways to get online ahead of time. You and your whole family will find it a considerably more enjoyable way to explore.