Tourists and digital nomads in Cancun and surrounding areas will soon get more free access to high-speed Internet thanks to an initiative from the state government of Quintana Roo to make the area more competitive in the marketplace.
Four New Cities Getting Connected
The recent announcement extends the free high-speed internet service for locals, tourists and digital nomads to four new parts of the Mexican Caribbean.
The Vice President of Internet company Gignet, Luis de Postestad, announced that Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres are next up on the list to have free access to the community high-speed Internet service.
All three areas were selected because of their mix of tourist and local traffic, which would benefit from the free service. It was also recognized that they are also hotspots for digital nomads who also contribute to the overall economic growth and vibrancy of the region.
For example, in Cancun the first deployments of the free Internet service were made at Playa Delfines and now the service covers a total of 383 meters of local beaches.
Only Tulum will be deployed this year while the other three areas will be on the plan for next year.
The deployment was accelerated to this year in Tulum due to the opening of the new Tulum International Airport to domestic flights next month and international direct flights from the United States at the end of March.
Convenient Hotspot Locations
The test deployments have already started in Tulum with the identification of key hotspots to serve the most people.
The first is going to be in city center where many people tend to collect. The second is being planned for the municipal palace to also serve the Tulum area government. The third location is the hotel zone to provide free high-speed Internet access to visitors to the area.
On Isla Mujeres, two different hotspots are currently in the planning phase. Meanwhile, Cozumel will feature one hotspot.
No additional information was provided about the deployment of the hotspots in Playa del Carmen.
Plans For Additional Service
After the deployments in the four areas this and next year, local officials deploying the free high-speed Internet service said they plan to focus next on the Felipe Carillo Puerto municipality.
They are working closely with the State of Quintana Roo Office of the Governor to create a master agreement to roll the free high-speed Internet service to additional areas of the state.
The plan is to not only find ways of providing the service to locals and families in the region but also extend the service to assist tourists and digital nomads that can also benefit from the free access.
Tips for Travelers
The free high-speed Internet service makes visiting Cancun and other major tourist areas of the Mexican Caribbean definitely more accessible and convenient for travelers to the beach resort destination.
As more destinations come online soon, such as Tulum by the end of year, the connectivity makes a big difference towards enhancing the experience that visitors have when visiting the area.
The free high-speed Internet service is a game changer when it comes to digital nomads in the area. Digital nomads have especially been flocking to Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The free Internet service will make that area even more attractive to those travelers.
While the hotspots will have a decent connectivity range of 200 meters (656 feet) in a linear manner, getting a property located near the hotspot will definitely be a challenge.
Alternatively, digital nomads can access the free high-speed Internet service from cafes and coffee shops in the general vicinity of the hotspot.