88 per cent of mobile workers say wi-fi access is equally or nearly as important to their lives as running water and electricity, according to a report from iPass. Slightly more prosaically, 95 per cent reported significant reductions in their job productivity without wireless access.

Laptops remain the device of choice for the vast majority of business uses, including web browsing, word processing, and sending emails. Tablets – which less than 15 per cent view primarily as a work device – are used more for lighter tasks like reading, video streaming, and accessing social media.

Its not all rosy, as 35 per cent said theyd experience friction in their personal relationships due to their use of smartphones and Tablets. An increasing amount of the 1,800 mobile workers surveyed go to sleep with their smartphone, at 60 per cent, while 30 per cent check their mobile device in the middle of the night.

“Connectivity is like oxygen for today’s mobile workers. The improved ability to work anywhere as long as they are connected appears to be driving higher productivity,” says Evan Kaplan, iPass CEO. “While having control over when, where, and how one works is a significant benefit, mobile workers themselves need to take care to manage the unique stressors that an always-connected work life brings.”