Free Wi-Fi Campaigns Tempting Foreign Tourists

Above, NTT Docomo Tower in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The competition on Wi-Fi service for foreign visitors to Japan is tempting those visitors. 

One of the major complaints foreigners have about Japan is the lack of free or easily accessible Wi-Fi service. Japan is out to change all that.

According to the Japan Times:

As tourists visit Japan in increasing numbers, mobile phone operators are moving to tap the market by providing better Wi-Fi services. 

NTT Docomo Inc., the largest domestic operator, and Wire and Wireless Co., a part of the KDDI Corp. group, have both rolled out trial Wi-Fi services for foreign tourists using their vast Wi-Fi infrastructure. 

The lack of convenient Wi-Fi connections is often one of the major complaints of foreign visitors, and the two firms are taking separate approaches to win more of their business. 

Docomo is betting on a paid Wi-Fi service that it launched in August. 

Wire and Wireless, also known as Wi2, has created an app for smartphones and tablets that lets people get online for free.

According to the article, Wi2′s Travel Japan Wi-Fi is only available for tablet and smartphone users, so laptop users will be out of luck.

To pay or not to pay? That is the question. Depending upon the price, I would much rather pay for a good Wi-Fi service than use a free one that is inundated with annoying advertisements.

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