Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Sand, sun and surfing the Web

Free wireless Internet has started in Clearwater Beach.

By TERRI BRYCE REEVES
Published July 30, 2006

ON THE WHITE SUGARY SANDS OF CLEARWATER BEACH - I'm a mother, daughter, niece, wife, former figure skater, freelance journalist, baby boomer and dog lover.

Today, I'm a high-tech hipster.

Well, sort of.

I don't own a laptop, so I had to borrow one from my editor. But after this experience, I might have to put one on my Christmas list.

I am sitting here with sand in my shoes, iced tea in my hand, trying to figure out how to move the cursor on the touch pad.

Other than that, life is amazing.

Before me is the Gulf of Mexico. The beach is dotted with people lounging under blue and white sun umbrellas. Beyond that, a big red pirate ship slashes through the azure waters.

Soon, this story will be transmitted over free wireless Internet service, compliments of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce.

On July 14, without much ado, the chamber erected its first WiFi base station, creating a half-mile-long "hot spot" from the Pier 60 parking lot to where the old Adam's Mark Hotel once stood.

"We've been working on getting WiFi for two years," said Sheila Cole, the chamber director.

More hot spots will spring up soon, until the entire tourist district, primarily the south end of the beach but some of the north, is one big surfin' safari.

"We think we may be the first chamber in the state to offer free WiFi for an entire tourist district," Cole said. "This is so cutting-edge. It's a great amenity for our guests."

The chamber collaborated with Neuvision Inc., a Belleair company specializing in Internet services, to offer this service.

For the uninitiated, WiFi stands for wireless fidelity, a technology that converts broadband Internet into radio waves that can be accessed by laptop computers, PDAs and WiFi-enabled cell phones.

Some airports, coffee shops and hotels provide wireless hot spots, but there is often a usage fee. Locally, several cities - like St. Petersburg, Treasure Island and Dunedin - plan to blanket their cities with a wireless network.

Before you cancel your fee-based service, though, you should know that the free WiFi service is designed primarily for outdoor use.

"Its best use is for cafes, pool areas, the beach," said John Besedic, president of Neuvision. "The signal can go through some walls but it's not really designed to go through several walls. The signal strength will ultimately depend on the type of wireless card in the laptop and the environment."

[Last modified July 30, 2006, 05:49:06]