Ahoy! Serving both the Comox Valley and the Lower Mainland means that the RW Networks tech team are officially frequent sailors on the BC Ferries fleet. As a bi-product of this fantastic bi-coastal work/play lifestyle, we have become unofficial Wifi aficionados for the BC Ferry Service. Like you we often struggle to get a good Wi-Fi signal while at sea.
Late to the Wi-Fi frustration party, BC Ferries officially admitted that their onboard Wi-Fi is “just not reliable.” The existing bandwidth simply can’t meet the demands of their growing customer demand. The solution? BC Ferries will remove Wi-Fi service from three of their major routes. (Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay to Langdale).
Feeling stressed about the thought of a BC Ferries imposed digital detox? Rest assured you can still access your Insta feed, but it may cost you. Most routes have cellular phone coverage, enabling all sailors to access their data plans.
On the bright side, courtesy of generous grant funding, free Wi-Fi service will be expanded to additional terminals including:
Bella Bella (McLoughlin Bay)
Cormorant Island (Alert Bay)
Cortes Island (Whaletown)
Denman Island East (Gravelly Bay)
Gabriola Island (Descanso Bay)
Galiano Island (Sturdies Bay)
Nanaimo (Nanaimo Harbour)
Pender Island (Otter Bay)
Port Hardy (Bear Cove)
Quadra Island (Heriot Bay)
Salt Spring Island (Long Harbour)
Salt Spring Island (Vesuvius Bay)
Saturna Island (Lyall Harbour)
Vancouver Island (Buckley Bay)
… and of course, these terminals currently offer Wi-Fi:
Nanaimo (Departure Bay)
Nanaimo (Duke Point)
Sunshine Coast (Langdale)
Sunshine Coast (Saltery Bay)
Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay)
Vancouver (Tsawwassen)
Victoria (Swartz Bay)
When all else fails, remember immersing yourself in nature has proven to reduce stress! Should the lack of Wi-Fi service affect your blood pressure, power down, head to the outer deck and savour the view. Tourists are spending big bucks to enjoy these incredible coastal water vistas, so if you can't beat them, why not join them? And if that doesn’t calm your nerves, consider a quick trip to the soft serve ice cream dispenser - chocolate of course!
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