Wire-Less In Shanghai
I have often said
China is a land of contradictions. One of the biggest contradictions must be the fact that it is near impossible to get a wireless internet connection in Shanghai’s Hong Qiao Airport. In many other airports in China – e.g., Shenzhen – wireless internet access is provided free of charge and is dead easy to connect to. But not in Shanghai, despite its reputation as China’s leading commercial city and regional financial hub.
At Hong Qiao Airport wireless internet access is only possible via China Netcom (CNC). The user needs an account number and password to access this network. One way is to have CNC as your mobile phone service provider. If that isn’t the case you can purchase a CNC internet access card for about RMB100 for 60 minutes of wireless access – but not at Hong Qiao Airport. That’s right – the cards to access this network are not sold at the main domestic airport of China’s leading commercial city! This means that if you get to Hong Qiao Airport without having purchased a card during your day of rushing from one business meeting to the next, you are totally screwed.
Come on, Shanghai, get your act together. The 2010 Expo is coming. Even Beijing is miles ahead of you on this one.
