Anything but free, fast-speed broadband
You'd never feel the real constraint of space until you tried to save on hotel bills in South Korea.
I joined my colleagues, and a director of a developer listed on Bursa Malaysia, to check in at Samsung's Casaville Residence in downtown Seoul near COEX. It's a no-frill one-room apartment with two t-star Intercontinental hotels shouting across two blocks away -- 12 ft x 12 ft, with not even shampoo and shower gel save a small bar of soap. The room is Korean clean -- clean sheets and floor, and the hot-water shower comes with good pressure on the 9th floor though there's no 6-pound fluffy towel that I usually equate with the star rating of a hotel.
There's a flat-screen TV that looks like my old 15-inch computer monitor, but it's hooked up to satellite TV.
Breakfast is fruits, juice, bread jam and butter with cooked eggs. There's complimentary coffee at the lobby that tastes far better than breakfast's. And off you go.
Despite the no-frill configuration at Samsung's Casaville Residence, I got real fast-speed broadband in-room -- faster than my 1.5Mbps Streamyx back home -- on a choice of wifi or Cat-5 LAN cable.
And the broadband is FREE!
Two years ago, I used to pay the equivalent of RM80 per day for in-room broadband while staying at the 5-star LotteWorld Hotel in the same city.
And this time around, we get more (broadband) for less staying in a Seoul hotel. Imagine, FREE in-room fast-speed Broadband that's faster than Streamyx!!
Comments
Wahahaha... you make it sound like we have highways but we kayok bicycle while paying toll for our streamyx....!!!
For internet addicts like us, anywhere is fine as long as there's fast speed broadband and a clean comfy bed.
Posted by: LC Teh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 30, 2008 07:43 AM
I must say, the South Koreans are generally a lot smarter than us. They put a lot of effort (especially brain power) into building their country & economy. I'm sure you guys can learn a lot from there.
Perhaps they should think of doing a proper map? It's not the user friendliest place to go around! Maybe Malaysia too!
Posted by: Shawn![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 30, 2008 10:07 AM
That's true also in most parts of Japan. While I was there last year all the hotels I stayed in had free wifi which downloaded megabyte sized files before you can finish saying Osaka :P
Back home I sometimes have to put up with speedtest sites which mock me with "are you sure you are using broadband?" when I check the speed of my 1M streamyx.
Posted by: daniel![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 30, 2008 10:35 AM
Sounds pretty much like my apartment in Tokyo last time. I had FTTH with 100Mbps though.
Funny how fast/wide bandwidth Internet access can compensate for the lack of room space.
Posted by: auyongtc![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 30, 2008 10:42 AM
the title should be
"Nothing but free, high-speed broadband"
JEFF OOI says: Pun intended. It was meant to mean "(I can trade off) anything but free, fast-speed broadband".
Posted by: nick chan abdullah![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 30, 2008 03:30 PM
Actually this is true even in Malaysia.
Earlier in the year i went on a tour of every state capital in Malaysia on assignment, I stayed in cheap hotels as well and more posh places, and I have to say that the more stars the hotel has on the wall, the more expensive the broadband.
In fact, in places where you paid less than rm 100 a night the broadband tends to be free. Go figure.
Posted by: Viceice![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 1, 2008 10:47 AM