Wireless hot spots expand access

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by Jill Henry|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ Reporter|ret||ret||tab|

jhenry@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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Area businesses are adding something new.|ret||ret||tab|

Wireless Internet access is appearing at hotels, restaurants and stores, allowing customers to get online away from home, using their own computers.|ret||ret||tab|

Gary and Paula Blankenship, owners of Walnut Street Inn, made the decision to offer free wireless fidelity (wi-fi) access for guests "when I had guests say they couldn't stay with me because I didn't have high-speed Internet access," Gary Blankenship said. "I've got to be state-of-the-art. Although we're full of honeymoons and anniversaries on weekends, weekdays are predominantly business traffic."|ret||ret||tab|

Customers use their own laptop computers, notebook computers or personal digital assistants to get online through wireless connection access points. Also known as hot spots, the access points are devices that allow the wireless card in a user's computer to talk to network infrastructure. Hot spots generally have a range of a few hundred feet. Most new laptop or notebook computers come with wireless cards ready for wi-fi connection. Wireless cards also are available separately for computers that do not already have them.|ret||ret||tab|

Drury University began offering wi-fi two years ago. Gary Swadley, director of computer services, said the goal is for the entire campus to be wireless. |ret||ret||tab|

Swadley said both students and instructors benefit from the free service. "It's a real advantage for instructors who have a laptop to just walk into the classroom, plug into a projector, and they're on the network so they can show students things that are on the Internet."|ret||ret||tab|

Mudhouse customers can take advantage of free wi-fi. Megan Cates, shift supervisor, said there are usually between three and five people using wi-fi in the shop at all times.|ret||ret||tab|

"We have a lot of people come in and just chill out and do work and try to get away from home or the office or whatever," Cates said. |ret||ret||tab|

Panera Bread debuted its free wi-fi service at its South Campbell store March 11.|ret||ret||tab|

Renee Eiffert, director of marketing for Traditional Bakery Inc., the area franchisee of Panera Bread, estimates the cost of setting up wi-fi at more than $1,000 per store. While it's too soon to report trending data, Eiffert said wi-fi is popular with customers.|ret||ret||tab|

"We have lots of people that come in and do business meetings," Eiffert said. |ret||ret||tab|

New stores are offering wi-fi as soon as they open.|ret||ret||tab|

"Eventually we'll do all of the other stores in Springfield," Eiffert said. "We'll do it kind of methodically. I would assume that by the end of the year all of the other stores would be wi-fi hot spots."|ret||ret||tab|

Nationwide, The UPS Store is preparing to offer FreedomLink, an SBC wi-fi product, in its stores. Lou Belobraydic said that the two stores he owns at 610 E. Battlefield and 1926 S. Glenstone are wired for the service and ready for the launch. However, a date for the service to be available in Springfield has not been announced.|ret||ret||tab|

Brandyn Jennings of The UPS Store's corporate office said, "It's going to be gradual through the remainder of this year and into next year. We plan to have more than 1,500 locations with wi-fi technology installed by the end of next year."|ret||ret||tab|

Jennings said that SBC will provide equipment to the stores, so there will be no expense to franchisees.|ret||ret||tab|

Swadley said the initial set-up at Drury wasn't as expensive as one might think. "We're paying about $550 for our wireless units," Swadley said, adding that it takes three or four units to cover each building. |ret||ret||tab|

Walnut Street Inn estimates having spent about $4,000 to get started, but that figure includes computer upgrades.|ret||ret||tab|

Springfield-Branson Regional Airport introduced free wi-fi access in the main terminal Dec. 1, and has invested about $1,500 on the system to date, said marketing director Sherry Wallace.|ret||ret||tab|

An average of 12 to 17 airport guests access the airport's wi-fi system each day. "Not a huge amount, but it is a nice convenience for those that need that service," Wallace said.|ret||ret||tab|

Steve Thompson, president of Pro-Tel Systems, said business owners considering wi-fi for customer use have many choices, including whether to charge customers or offer access for free. For businesses that decide to charge customers, Thompson said fees range from $4.95 to $9.95 for a one-hour pass to $39.95 to $43.95 for a 30-day pass.|ret||ret||tab|

T-Mobile, which provides wi-fi service nationwide at Borders, Kinko's and other retailers, charges $6 for 60 minutes, $9.99 for 24 hours, and also offers monthly plans for $29.99 or $39.99.|ret||ret||tab|

Security is a concern for businesses that provide wi-fi to customers. Depending on how far a particular wi-fi device can reach, it is sometimes possible for unauthorized users to log on. |ret||ret||tab|

"If you're not careful, somebody driving by on the street can log onto your wireless Internet and use your bandwidth," Swadley said. "We started out having it as an open system, but we have moved to a system where it has to be authenticated." |ret||ret||tab|

Safeguards have been implemented at the airport as well. "We're not all on the same network. We keep the regular terminal separate so no one can get in," Wallace said.|ret||ret||tab|

Starbucks Coffee launched nationwide wi-fi service through T-Mobile in August 2002, and now offers wi-fi access at more than 2,700 of its stores. However, the two locations under construction in Springfield will not debut with wi-fi, according to Nick Davis, Starbucks spokesperson. The stores will receive the service in the future. |ret||ret||tab|

"Specific dates for backfill of existing markets with hot spots are not available," Davis said. |ret||ret||tab|

Wi-fi is also popping up in familiar dining rooms across the country.|ret||ret||tab|

McDonald's is conducting hot spot pilot programs through providers Wayport, Cometa Networks and Toshiba's SurfHere in locations including New York City, Seattle and Chicago.|ret||ret||tab|

Schlotzsky's Deli offers its Cool Cloud wireless network free to customers at locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Monica Landers, Schlotzsky's director of communications, said that a survey of customers indicated 6 percent visited "primarily for the wi-fi access." Local stores have no immediate plans to add wi-fi to their menus. |ret||ret||tab|

"It may be something we look at in a year, six months, something like that, but not the near future," said Kenon Lamb, owner of the Schlotzsky's locations at 3120 E. Sunshine, 4132 S. Campbell and 3825 S. Glenstone.|ret||ret||tab|

Springfield's downtown might become a hot spot in the future as well, based on the pending decision of an ad hoc committee made up of representatives of Community Improvement District, the city of Springfield, and City Utilities. |ret||ret||tab|

"City Utilities has commissioned a study to look at how (a hot spot) could occur, where you would locate the access points, what the possible range of the wi-fi would be, how many access points we would need downtown, that kind of stuff," said CID board member Mary Lilly Smith. One possibility for Springfield would be an outdoor hot spot area. Similar outdoor hot spots have been implemented across the country, including hot spots in Portland, Ore., Pittsburgh, Austin, Texas, and New York City.|ret||ret||tab|

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