In the run-up to my latest trip – to the United States – my US-based friend asked: “Will you be on roaming, or should we coordinate now?” With two flights, a train ride, three states, and two countries between us and our meet-up, they were worried about staying in touch and helping me navigate.

Truly, 25 years or so after I got my first cellphone, mobile telephony and always-on connectivity are so ingrained in our lives. This, and my notoriously terrible sense of direction, meant my friend was concerned I’d find myself in Bumsville, Idaho, instead of Central Pennsylvania without a means to check in.