Hong Kong's 'digital divide' forcing many to turn their back on laidback Lamma
Painfully slow internet speeds are forcing many in outlying areas to head back to the high-rises
You'd think Lamma Island residents would never want to give up their relatively pristine surroundings and head back to Hong Kong's urban jungle, but in the age of the internet, the remoteness of their haven is proving problematic. Crawling internet speeds are sending people packing back to the city.
"Running a home office, like so many Lamma-ites, internet connections are our lifeline, our absolutely mandatory business infrastructure," says Ruegg. "Our business stops when broadband is down or extremely slow, as is the case more and more often."
Broadband speeds average about 0.5 megabits per second or break down altogether, and customer satisfaction with the island's only service provider, PCCW subsidiary HKT, has hit rock bottom.
Lamma Island's network coverage is particularly rudimentary owing to the absence of a fibre cable under the Lamma channel, which means residents rely on microwave connections to Hong Kong Island.
Ruegg's online forum has entire threads dedicated to residents' complaints about internet speeds. They're upset because they pay the same rates as users in metropolitan Hong Kong.