Accessing internet while on holiday?

[mr putin]

Hello,

I'm coming again to Finland on holiday during July. I read somewhere a while ago that in Finland you can access the internet almost anywhere, even at your country cottage. So, is this true? Could I feasibly bring my laptop and switch it on whilst in, say Rantasalmi or Puumala, at my cottages and be able to browse?
I'd welcome any informed views about this.

Kiitos!

Michael

[Rosamunda]

No, that is rubbish. Our mökki is only 80kms from Helsinki (and not in a remote area) and we don't even have decent 3G for our phones. As for broadband - All the local businesses complain they can't function properly without decent internet access (even the farmers). Even the local library doesn't have wireless - so I can't go there to work or read my email. No wonder the municipality is complaining that it is having difficulty attracting (tele)commuters to the area. It's not enough having regular trains into the city, until they fix the broadband they won't get many people (or businesses) moving out there.

Not sure about your area, but I think there are maps you can consult that show which area are covered. I think you need to look on the websites of the ISPs like elisa etc

[mr putin]

Ok, thanks I did wonder when I read it in a brochure myself.
I can try to investigate nearer to the time when I come, in July.
Thanks again!
Michael

[pseudo]

Perhaps you read something like -> viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41152

[riku2]

you can access the internet almost anywhere, even at your country cottage.

I think those stories mean that if you live in finland you can get either adsl installed at your house or use your mobile with 3G. But the first is more long term (min a year I suppose) and the second very expensive if you don't have a finnish sim card since it's unlikely you will have a flat rate data tariff for a non home country. On the 3G side finland certainly lags behind other countries in coverage, only the major cities are done and not even the whole motorway helsinki-tampere. Finland might have been ahead of the world with mobile technology 10 years ago but it's way behind in 3G coverage. I live 40km from helsinki and still have GSM only.
And the ADSL prices are still really high. I got ADSL added to my dad's phone line in the UK to use when visiting him. Extra cost was 2.5euro/month for 2Mbit. You can multiply that by 10 in Finland. And they included a free wireless ADSL modem/router for that price.

[Upphew]

and the second very expensive if you don't have a finnish sim card since it's unlikely you will have a flat rate data tariff for a non home country.

http://saunalahti.fi/prepaid/mobiililaajakaista.php - Huawei E1552 & 1 month of unlimited transfer (both speed and volume) 39€ after the first month its 6,90€/week, prepaid.

On the 3G side finland certainly lags behind other countries in coverage, only the major cities are done and not even the whole motorway helsinki-tampere. Finland might have been ahead of the world with mobile technology 10 years ago but it's way behind in 3G coverage. I live 40km from helsinki and still have GSM only.

True, sparse population has pros and cons. For wireless connection there is also @450, that has better reach than mobile networks

And the ADSL prices are still really high. I got ADSL added to my dad's phone line in the UK to use when visiting him. Extra cost was 2.5euro/month for 2Mbit. You can multiply that by 10 in Finland. And they included a free wireless ADSL modem/router for that price.

2,5€/month for 2/? adsl, nice. You get it at same price without phone line (you know that no-one is getting new wired phones nowadays)?

[mr putin]

Thanks again for all the replies.
When we came to Finland in 2006 and in 2008, I created blogs of our journey, and uploaded all the day-to-day details of our trips. Of course, I did this after the event, having to keep a daily diary of the trips, that I spent ages writing each evening.

I just hoped that in 2010, if I brought my laptop with me, it might have been possible to do it all live, online, instead of having to bring my pen and paper this time! Looks like I was wrong..

Michael
http://scotlandtorussia2006.blogspot.com
http://eurojaunts2008.blogspot.com

[Upphew]

Looks like I was wrong..

So you didn't look at the availability maps I linked? Both Rantasalmi and Puumala have coverage. But at your cottage? Dunno, as both counties have also large areas that don't have coverage.
Saunalahti operates in Elisa's network.

[mr putin]

Yes, I did check out your link. Unfortunately I can't understand it though, as it doesn't have an option to read in English..

[Upphew]

Yes, I did check out your link. Unfortunately I can't understand it though, as it doesn't have an option to read in English..

You don't need English for that: 3G is 3G also in English, 2,1GHz or 2100MHz is 2,1 GHz in English too. And when there is color next to one one of those terms, then that same color on the map means coverage with that frequency on that area. You can zoom maps with + and - (lähennä ja loitonna, + ja - in Finnish) and use hand icon to drag the map (käden kuva).