Got stuck in a coworking space in Medellin with no backup internet

Last month I was working from a popular coworking place in El Poblado and the whole building lost power for about 4 hours. No warning, no backup generator, just everyone sitting there staring at their laptops. I had a big client call scheduled for 10am and had to run to a cafe with spotty wifi to take it. After that I bought a cheap portable hotspot and tested it with a local SIM card. It cost me around $40 total and now I keep it in my bag at all times. Has anyone else found a reliable backup internet setup that works across different countries?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_murphy801mo ago

Oh wow, I actually had a totally different experience with hotspots down here. I tested mine during that power outage at the coworking spot and got solid 15mbps while everyone else's phones were crawling. It really depends on your carrier and signal strength though, I went with Claro and they seem to handle congestion better than the others. I think you're right that some spots have backup lines but honestly I'd rather spend $40 on my own solution than pay double for a coworking space that might still let me down.

beth2761mo ago

Would relying on a portable hotspot really solve your problem, though? Most of the time when the internet goes out, the cell towers get overloaded and your hotspot will be just as slow as everyone else's phones. You might be better off just finding a coworking space that actually has a generator and a backup provider written into their lease.

park.miles1mo ago

Wait, @beth276 you're telling me some coworking spaces actually have backup providers written into their leases? That's kind of blowing my mind right now. I've been to like a dozen different spots and never came across one that admitted to having a physical backup line. They all just blame the weather and tell you to hotspot from your car or something. Most of them barely have a generator that works for their own lights, let alone a SECOND internet provider. Still though, finding one that DOES have that setup sounds like finding a unicorn, I'd probably pay double just for the peace of mind.