Three modes of internet connectivity during travel are identified: Residential, Transit, and Remote. Residential connectivity refers to consistent high-speed mobile data access. Transit connectivity involves intermittent access via free Wi-Fi hotspots. Remote connectivity is characterized by basic "text-only" access in areas with little network coverage. The modes depend on network availability and cost of mobile data, and influence what online tasks travelers can perform and their experiences.

1. Three modes of internet connectivity during travel:
Residential, Transit and Remote
Michelangelo Magasic, Curtin University of Technology
m.magasic@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
Ulrike Gretzel, University of Southern California
gretzel@usc.edu

2. Problem definition
Within literature on ICT enhanced tourism, the use of phrases such as ‘constant’,
‘everpresent’, ‘seamless’, or ‘ubiquitous’ to describe internet connectivity during
travel, employed in tandem with their inverse, ‘unplugged’, ‘dead zone’, and ‘black
hole’, has portrayed internet connectivity in a binary manner eliding the significant
gray area that exists within the state of being connected.
What states exist within internet connectivity during travel?
What effects do different states of connectivity have on travel behaviour?

3. Source: WorldSim (n.d). 11 Ways to keep phone charges low during international travel.
A hypothetical connectivity situation featuring WorldSim’s
portable modem and data storage device

4. Gaps in literature
Studies on ICT and tourism have in general been dominated by applied business
perspectives (Munar, Gyimothy & Cai, 2013) which have tended to seek generalisable data
at the expense of knowledge on how tourists use ICT as part of the tourist experience
(Banyai & Havitz, 2013).
“Researchers often ignore the fact that travellers have to adjust between the two states of
connectivity during their travels rather than be completely connected or disconnected.”
(Tanti & Buhalis, 2016, p.32)
A call for greater attention toward the personal processes through which tourists access and
use ICTs during travel.
(Germann Molz, 2012; 2013; MacKay & Vogt, 2012; Munar, Gyimothy & Cai, 2013; Sigala,
Christou & Gretzel, 2012).

5. Connected tourists
Tourism is increasingly a “socio-technical practice” (Germann Molz, 2012) in which
travellers actions and experiences are highly interwoven with, if not dependant upon, ICT
devices and internet connectivity
Tourists use the internet for communication, entertainment, facilitation, and information
search. (Wang & Fesenmaier, 2013)
This presentation will focus on the ‘during’ stage of the travel experience and how tourists
use the internet to communicate.
As such, this research will contribute to an expanding body of literature on the experience of
ICT using tourists
(Germann Molz, 2004; 2006; 2011; 2012; Germann Molz & Paris, 2015; Gretzel, Fesenmaier, Lee & Tussyadiah, 2011; Kim & Tussyadiah, 2013;
Mascheroni 2007; Minazzi, 2014, Munar, Gyimothy & Cai, 2013; Neuhofer & Buhalis, 2013; Neuhofer, Buhalis & Ladkin, 2015; Paris, 2009; 2012;
Paris, Burger, Rubin & Cason, 2015; Wang, Park & Fesenmaier, 2012; Wang, Xiang & Fesenmaier, 2014; 2016; White & White, 2005; 2007).

6. Source: Wall Street Journal (2016, March 3). A Traveler’s Guide to Social Media.
Tourism as a “socio-technical practice”

7. Travel connectivity
Travel connectivity is the ability for travellers to access the internet via mobile and hardwired
telecommunications networks
Mobile: Mobile data
Hardwired: LAN/Ethernet cable, Wi-Fi
Devices: Smartphone, tablet, laptop computer, portable wi-fi modem,
Neuhofer, Buhalis & Ladkin (2015) have looked at the barriers and enablers to internet
connectivity during travel noting that software, infrastructure, hardware and usability all play
a role in how travellers access or are blocked from connectivity

8. Peak data transfer speeds
2G (144 Kbps)
3G (2 Mbps)
4G (300 Mbps)
(Morris, 2013)
Smartphone
Tablet
Portable modem
(Pocket Wi-Fi)
USB modem
Laptop
or other
device
Mobile data networks are broadcast via cell towers and may be accessed
via a subscription to a telecommunications company
The user connects with the network using a mobile
receiving device and the connection may be shared
with other internet devices via Wi-Fi or tethering

9. Hardwired networks are provided via point to point
cable or wire systems and accessed using a modem. Ethernet
Modem
and
router
ISP
(internet
service
provider)
-Fibre
-Cable
-DSL
-FIOS
etc
Laptop
(free or fee)
Laptop
Smartphone
Tablet
(free or fee)
Wi-Fi
Akamai (2015) reports that the global average
connection speed is 5.1 Mbps, while the global peak
average is 32.2 Mbps.

10. The array of ICT devices and peripherals used to record travel during fieldwork
“Like most of the
travellers in my
study, Beau packed so
many gadgets,
converters, chargers and
power cords that the
inside of his backpack
resembled, as he put it, ‘a
bowl of spaghetti’.”
(Germann Molz, 2012)

11. The ‘digital divide’
The digital divide highlights the gap between those who have access to ICTs and those who
don’t (Chen & Wellman, 2003; Van Dijk, 2005).
As the percentage of the global population with mobile subscriptions has risen, research has
shifted focus to a ‘second level digital divide’ investigating how sociodemographic (age,
gender, education) and technological factors (bandwidth) influence the use of the internet
(Hargittai & Hsieh, 2013).
The “digital divide in bandwidth” mirrors income inequality (Hilbert, 2016).

12. Bandwidth divide
“plain differences in physical infrastructure availability around the world have already
created a de-facto tiered structure among some with much and some with systematically
little bandwidth: a digital bandwidth divide.” (Hilbert 2016)
The International Telecommunication Union (2015) reports:
95% of the world’s population was covered by a 2G mobile-cellular network,
69% of the world’s population was covered by 3G.
35% of the global population was covered by 4G (GSMA, 2015).
Fixed-broadband coverage reached 11% of the world’s population (ITU, 2015).

13. 2016 Mobile Connectivity Index
4 Indicators: 1) Infrastructure 2) Affordability 3) Consumer readiness 4) Language content

14. Different states of connectivity during travel
Generally, tourists visiting higher-income countries will have a more consistent internet
experience with greater speeds and less gaps in coverage (Hilbert, 2016)
Many activities attributed to connected tourists such as sharing photos, video-chatting or
constant status updates would not be possible without a high-speed connection and/or
affordable mobile data.
The effects of different states of internet connectivity including disconnectivity on the
emotional state and travel behaviours of tourists has been discussed to a limited extent in
recent academic literature (Germann Molz & Paris, 2015; Magasic, 2014; Neuhofer et al.,
2015; Paris et al., 2015; Pearce & Gretzel, 2012; Tanti & Buhalis, 2016).

15. Methodology
This paper reports on research performed using a netnographic method comprising of mixed
qualitative and quantitative methods. Netnography is a form of ethnographic inquiry that is
sensitive toward computer-mediated social interactions (Kozinets, 2010; 2015; Mkono &
Markwell, 2014). While netnography frequently employs tools such as social media
discourse analysis or data analytics, it may also be utilised to explore the broader context for
online interactions via data collection tools such as participant observation and critical
reflection.
Data was collected during 3 month multi-country (Japan, China, USA & Mexico)
independent travel using the following three practices:
1) Observation of internet connectivity services and how these are utilised by travellers.
2) A daily log of internet usage and the standard of connection encountered that day.
3) The construction of a critical blog narrative which reflected on internet usage and its
intersections with travel experience.

16. A rough visualisation of
the research method

17. Data collection practice #2 “ A daily log of internet usage and the standard of connection encountered that day.”

18. Data analysis
Literature shows that internet connectivity is variant by a number of factors including
endogenous characteristics of the network (i.e. quality of infrastructure, connectivity
range), exogenous factors on the network (such as interference, network congestion) and
personal choices (the ability to pay access fees, the devices possessed by the traveller).
From these, the two overriding factors identified within fieldwork which were used to
determine the paper’s typology of the 3 principal modes of connectivity accessed by
travellers are: network availability (the sum of endogenous and exogenous factors which
determines network strength at a particular period in time) and the cost-effectiveness of
mobile data in the context of individual travel.

19. C
O
N
N
E
C
T
E
D
N
E
S
S
Dead zone - No connectivity
REMOTE - Weak connectivity with ‘text only’ functionality
TRANSIT - Hardwired connectivity dependant on ‘hotspots’
RESIDENTIAL - 3G and 4G mobile connectivity
Expensive
mobile
data
Affordable
mobile
data
3 modes of travel connectivity
Travellers will tend toward the strongest connectivity which is
conveniently available and affordable

20. Residential - “Everpresent connectivity”
A smartphone using tourist on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, USA.

21. 3 Mobile UK ‘Feel at Home’ plan with free
international roaming in 42 countries
B Mobile Japan prepaid mobile data sim card

22. Characteristics of Residential connectivity
> High speed (3G or 4G)
> Accessed via a mobile device or portable Wi-Fi
> Real-time sharing and feedback whilst on the move
> Expensive data fees e.g. international roaming*
(Buhalis & Law, 2008; Dickinson, Hibbert, Filimonau, 2016; Neuhofer, Buhalis & Ladkin,
2015; Tanti & Buhalis, 2016)
*Abolishment of European roaming fees in 2017
> “Always-on (when users are connected to the internet constantly) connectivity creates
great opportunities for interactivity at the destination and the provision of personalised,
contextualised, and location based services (LBS).” (Buhalis & Law, 2008).

23. Transit - “Hotspot connectivity”
Internet service terminal in Haneda
International Airport, Tokyo, Japan
Serviette dispenser with Wi-Fi network and
password information, Tulum, Mexico

24. Free Wi-Fi available in stores of the American health
foods chain Whole Foods Market
Free Wi-Fi, Kochi Airport, Japan

25. Characteristics of Transit connectivity
> Shared connection with variable quality (liable to network congestion and/or dropouts)
> Limited connection range prohibits connectivity on the go
>’Free’ Wi-Fi
> Block sessions i.e. grouping of internet tasks together while in connection range
> “Wi-Fi is not an “always connected” technology. It is designed primarily for the mobile user
that accesses the network while relatively stationary.” (Gass & Diot, 2010, p.71)

26. Remote - “Basic connectivity”
Rules for using the Wi-Fi connection at a cafe in
Cabo Pulmo, Mexico.
Roadside stop advertising Wi-Fi along
Highway 1 in Baja California Norte, Mexico

27. Implications for Remote connectivity
> In remote, rural, or wilderness areas with little network coverage, or when a network is
congested or impaired.
> Low bandwidth means prolonged loading times and slow progress
> Drop-outs
> ‘Text only’ service as the connection is too slow to allow image uploads
> “Internet disruptions are unfortunately still all too common — occurring in some
countries/regions on a frequent basis. These disruptions may be accidental (backhoes
or ship anchors severing buried fiber), natural (hurricanes or earthquakes),or political
(governments shutting off Internet access in response to unrest).” (Akamai, 2015)

29. Discussion
Connectivity may be continually renegotiated throughout the journey
While each mode outlined here is characterised by a particular set of conditions through
which connectivity is experienced, the borders between different modes are fluid.
These modes are not mutually exclusive and may coexist within the one physical place with
the chosen connection type depending on available telecommunications networks and the
traveller’s personal choices. For example, an airport which is experienced in Transit mode by
vacationers could easily be experienced as Residential connectivity by a business traveller
who has a cellphone connection with a service provider in that country.

30. Implications for research and management
The three different modes of connectivity identified in this paper have repercussions for what
type of tasks travellers are able to accomplish online such as the ability to share media, or
participate in ongoing communications, and, consequently, how they approach and consume
touristic experiences.
By acknowledging that different connectivity types are likely to produce different forms of
narrative reflections on travel, researchers and DMOs may better analyse the content
present in traveller’s UGC.
The modes of connectivity outlined here should not be regarded as conclusive
categorisations but rather as a starting point to be built upon by future research, particularly
that which includes wider demographics of travellers.

31. Thank you

32. Abstract
This presentation investigates the state of internet connectivity during travel. In recent years the use of ICT devices as integrated within
the travel experience has become an emergent research area. Within literature, the use of phrases such as ‘constant’, ‘everpresent’,
‘seamless’, or ‘ubiquitous’ to describe internet connectivity during travel, employed in tandem with their inverse, ‘unplugged’, ‘dead
zone’, and ‘black hole’, has portrayed internet connectivity in a binary manner eliding the significant gray area that exists within the
state of being connected. Drawing on the theoretical context of the global digital divide, this paper seeks to increase knowledge on the
variety of states of connectivity which may be encountered during travel. Research was conducted using an netnographic methodology
including critical reflection on the practice of accessing and using ICTs during a 3 month period of multi-country fieldwork. As its
research findings, firstly, the paper presents a broad, 3 tiered model for understanding different modes of connectivity during travel
based on network availability and the cost-effectiveness of mobile data. Secondly, impacts of each mode of connectivity upon travel
experience are investigated.
Keywords: travel connectivity, travel experience, travel behaviour, digital divide, ICT devices, connectivity,