Keep Going with KeepGo!

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The Crime Traveller / Blog, Travel / Keep Going with KeepGo!

Travelling without a stable and reliable internet connection in modern days feels akin to crossing the Atlantic in a kayak. Sure, some crazy intrepid soul could probably accomplish the feat but you’d never feel comfortable attempting it! Couple my blogger’s obsession to live-stream every moment on social media with concerns over a busy law practice […]

Filed Under: Blog, Travel by The Crime Traveller September 10, 2015, 6:24 pm

Travelling without a stable and reliable internet connection in modern days feels akin to crossing the Atlantic in a kayak. Sure, some crazy intrepid soul could probably accomplish the feat but you’d never feel comfortable attempting it! Couple my blogger’s obsession to live-stream every moment on social media with concerns over a busy law practice back home, and I’d sooner travel across the world without a pair of pants, than lose my internet connection. But, with criminally high roaming data fees and luxury hotel chains who still have the chutzpa to tack $20 per night (or more!) onto a $300 nightly room rate, the connected traveller can be forgiven for crying out “there must be a better way!”. Many road warriors rely on local cellular phones in their destination countries or swap a local SIM card into their domestic unlocked handset.

The major players have grudgingly come to realize that their usurious roaming rates are turning off even the most ardent of corporate customers. For a fee of ‘just’ $50, Rogers wireless in my home of Ontario, Canada, will helpfully text an ‘unlock code’ that magically allows my Blackberry to accept SIM cards from any carrier. This is a great solution for those who want a warrantied phone free from the potential catastrophes associated with some back-room ‘jail-break’ schemes but, if you’re like me, it still leaves you with a host of affiliated devices that can’t affordably access an international data connection. It also means scrambling the moment you get off the plane in a foreign country to find a compatible SIM card at the first airport tech shop you can find.

KeepGo_5

Enter KeepGo. Sign up online and KeepGo mails you a sleek white rectangle about the size of a small cell phone (though weighing considerably less). Charging is via the included USB cable or wall adapter with KeepGo thoughtfully including European and North American plugs for your travel convenience. The device will soak up enough juice for about six continuous hours of use and is a pre-configured WiFi hotspot with KeepGo’s international SIM card pre-loaded on-board. Users are encouraged to run a quick test diagnostic locally that went off without a hitch. Upon arriving overseas (in the case of my test-run, I was travelling through Israel) the device seamlessly and easily provided fast and reliable data not only to my Blackberry, but to my laptop, iPad, and half-a-dozen other devices for my fellow travellers aboard our tour bus. The range was good enough to allow anyone on the bus who I had gifted with the password to share my WiFi. After two full weeks of moderate to heavy usage by multiple devices, I only ran down my data allowance on the very last day of my trip. $130USD gets you the KeepGo HUAWEI hardware and an international SIM card pre-loaded with 1GB of data. Topping up is quick and easy online costing as little as $39/GB. The KeepGo isn’t quite a global solution with most of Africa, Russia and India missing from its coverage map but it’ll do the trick for the majority of North or South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Comparing the cost and convenience of a KeepGo to roaming data solutions for a handful of other devices, the KeepGo service comes out miles ahead on both counts. So, while I strongly encourage travellers to toss a pair of pants into their duffels, my KeepGo is the first thing I’ll be ensuring is in my carry-on for many trips to come.

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UPDATE:  KeepGo now offers a client referral program. Looking to enjoy all the convenience and savings that come from using a KeepGo device? Use this link to get started – you’ll enjoy an instant 15% savings on KeepGo products and then request your own referral link. Each time a new customer joins the KeepGo family, you’ll be rewarded with an extra 300mb of data for your device. Try getting a deal like that out of your local cell phone provider!

 

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Ed Prutschi is a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto, Canada practicing at the law firm of Adler Bytensky Prutschi. When not completely absorbed by the rigours of his trial practice, Ed revels in grabbing his camera ..

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