Report on WiFi progress in Spain

[greytop]

Spanish news item (http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/466207/0/ciudades/puntos/wifi/) for your perusal.

A Madrid (1776 puntos), Cataluña (1391 puntos) y Andalucía (885 puntos) le siguen en el ranking la Comunidad Valenciana (622 puntos), el País Vasco (430), Galicia (416), Castilla y León (302), Baleares (183), Aragón (177), Cantabria (164), Murcia (160) y Navarra (153).
Los cinco últimos puestos los ocupan las Islas Canarias (151 puntos comerciales WiFi), Asturias (148), Castilla la Mancha (144), Extremadura (137) y, en último lugar, La Rioja (126).

[Beckett]

I wish that 20Minutos article had given the names of some actual locations, or at least directed readers to a list of commercial locations offering wifi in the major cities, because to me it doesn't seem as ubiquitous in Madrid as that article makes it out to be.

If anyone knows of a comprehensive and current list of wifi locations in Madrid, please let us know. Gracias.

[greytop]

Google map here (http://www.gomadrid.com/maps/wi-fi-map.html). Try googling "WiFi Madrid" for a load of sites.
Failing that have a beer in every bar and try the WiFi ;)

[gary]

I wish that 20Minutos article had given the names of some actual locations, or at least directed readers to a list of commercial locations offering wifi in the major cities, because to me it doesn't seem as ubiquitous in Madrid as that article makes it out to be.

If anyone knows of a comprehensive and current list of wifi locations in Madrid, please let us know. Gracias.

We found fre open WiFi in Burger King in Madrid between Sol and Pl Santa Cruz when we were there last and son needed it to submit some uni work... luckily we didnt need to eat there!!

[ValenciaSon]

How about Starbucks'?:thumbs-up:

[richardksa]

How about Starbucks'?:thumbs-up:
Starbucks ain't free!:mad:

[ValenciaSon]

Starbucks ain't free!:mad:
It is for this iPhone, toting mortal. Maybe because Starbucks has a deal with AT&T, the telephony provider for iPhone in the US.

[ValenciaSon]

I've wondered, as magnificently progressive the public infrastructure is en España, relative to the US, why is there such a lag on publicly available, free WiFi?

[fawlty]

These two links are worth a look:

http://wififreespot.com/europe.html

http://free-hotspot.groopli.com/index.php?option=com_google_maps&view=world&Itemid=16793

[switch007]

I've wondered, as magnificently progressive the public infrastructure is en España, relative to the US, why is there such a lag on publicly available, free WiFi?
The fact theres not an endless pot of gold? I'd rather they spent money on important things like the transport and keeping the prices low - and that's coming from a major geek :)

[greytop]

...I'd rather they spent money on important things like the transport and keeping the prices low ....Unless you live in an area where the PP are in power

[gary]

It is for this iPhone, toting mortal. Maybe because Starbucks has a deal with AT&T, the telephony provider for iPhone in the US.


thats a US deal - doesnt apply in Europe as a policy across the board. You can sit in the sin at the Starbucks in BCN close to Pl Cataluña and piggy back on the wifi of the hotel just behind...

[greytop]

... You can sit in the sin at the Starbucks in BCN ...Freudian slip there Gary ;D

[ValenciaSon]

thats a US deal - doesnt apply in Europe Unless I switch my plan to international

[gary]

Freudian slip there Gary ;D

your right the sin is at the other end of Raval!!

[gary]

Unless I switch my plan to international

Dunno if Wifi is standard in starbucks in Europe... maybe depends on franchisee?

UPDATE

This says different (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/20/bt_starbucks/) - BT Openzone is free to iPhone and Starbucks seem to have it noe since April

[deecree]

I heard European Starbucks are to have their interiors turned into airless vacuums and that to breathe you must pay an extra €5 for a breathing apparatus.

[gary]

I heard European Starbucks are to have their interiors turned into airless vacuums and that to breathe you must pay an extra €5 for a breathing apparatus.

Maybe the €5 would be worth it if you could get a decent cup of coffee...

[ValenciaSon]

I heard European Starbucks are to have their interiors turned into airless vacuums and that to breathe you must pay an extra €5 for a breathing apparatus.I wonder what €5 gets you at a Peruvian Starbucks'.:rolleyes:

[gary]

I wonder what €5 gets you at a Peruvian Starbucks'.:rolleyes:

Same crap it gets you everywhere else - that's why they chuck ice, cream, syrup, rat venom and bat blood in it - to make it taste of something other than vaguely coffee flavoured hot water

... yes I know this is technically inaccurate - rats don't have venom

[eldeano]

So what about the Wi-fi?

[Baz]

The number of free wi-fi places in Barcelona seems to really taking off now - although admittedly I had a bit of a disaster with Telefonica cutting off my broadband at home for a month :( and so was forced to go out searching for the free places here.

One big discovery a couple of weeks ago was that there is free wi-fi in a "Café y Té" (a national chain I think?) on Rambla de Catalunya. The wi-fi's not advertised anywhere inside I can see, but definitely free. And the coffee's most definitely better than Starbucks. Would be interested to see if they offer it in other locations.

Aside from that, a few of the newer places in El Raval offer it, so it seems places are recognising the value of having it. Oh, and last time I went in a Starbucks (on Passeig de Gracia) they told me they didn't have wi-fi at all!

[Jules]

One big discovery a couple of weeks ago was that there is free wi-fi in a "Café y Té" (a national chain I think?) on Rambla de Catalunya. The wi-fi's not advertised anywhere inside I can see, but definitely free.

They may of course be blissfully unaware that they are providing a free wi-fi facility -- as does anyone who doesn't invoke encryption!!

[deecree]

I wonder what €5 gets you at a Peruvian Starbucks'.:rolleyes:

Same crap it gets you everywhere else - that's why they chuck ice, cream, syrup, rat venom and bat blood in it - to make it taste of something other than vaguely coffee flavoured hot water

... yes I know this is technically inaccurate - rats don't have venom

What with lower labour costs, for €5 you actually get a double helping of the rat venom Gary mentioned.

Here though, free wifi is had from McDonald to Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts to just about anywhere.

[deecree]

Anyone had any organic Peruvian coffee? It´s getting recognition as a Colombia-beater.

[gary]

They may of course be blissfully unaware that they are providing a free wi-fi facility -- as does anyone who doesn't invoke encryption!!
Yes, quite often if you sit outside a bar or restaurant in Spain you get a number of wifi hotspots. Some are provided by the businesses to attract customers and some are supplied unwittingly by the folk that live in the apartments above the bars...

[eldeano]

Yes, quite often if you sit outside a bar or restaurant in Spain you get a number of wifi hotspots. Some are provided by the businesses to attract customers and some are supplied unwittingly by the folk that live in the apartments above the bars...

Moral being: sit in plenty of bars in Spain. ;D

[gary]

Moral being: sit in plenty of bars in Spain. ;D

...de acuerdo

[ValenciaSon]

So, WiFi in the Old Country, WEP or WPA?