Wireless popping up all over
With wireless Internet hubs popping up all over the Wasatch Front, Utahns are discovering they can increasingly access the Web wherever they go or whatever they're doing.
Wireless technology has been available for about five years, but the trend to equip businesses with "WiFi" for public use seems to have taken off in the past two.
Wireless access is expected on college campuses and at coffee shops, but other locations — a Salt Lake campground, Rocky Mountain Raceways and Gallivan Plaza, for example — are appearing every day. Gallivan Center director Talitha Day said the entire plaza is equipped with a cloud cover of wireless Internet. Because of the wireless, the stage becomes a conference room and business people can have outdoor meetings. Day has also seen people with their laptops enjoying the daily concert at the plaza.
Wireless has become popular quickly for a variety of reasons. It's accessible most anywhere, and the possibilities are endless. It's also simple, requiring little technical background, said Debbie Labelle, marketing director of IKANO, a Utah wireless company.
Accessibility can get difficult in places such as Borders bookstores, where a user not only has to have the equipment but also a subscription to T-Mobile HotSpots.
Some places limit access to limit loitering. Beans and Brews Coffee House requires customers to buy something every hour, even if it is only a 16-cent water. From that purchase, customers get a six-digit code that allows them Internet access.
Josh Eyring, Beans and Brews shift manager, says the purchase rule doesn't seem to deter customers. He said the password protects customers against spam and prevents people from abusing the network and harming others on the network computers.
WiFi can be good for business. Since James Sever of Tribaldelic Tattoo got wireless for his shop, he no longer has to wait for customers to search through pictures in magazines; now they just start searching the Internet.
"You can get online and look at any artist, and not just tattoo artists, fine art as well. We have portfolios of everyone in the world," Sever said.
Those using wireless should be aware that their computer is more at risk than if they have a wire connection; however, a virus protection program, spyware and firewall will probably protect the wireless user from difficulties, said Al Sherwood, deputy chief information officer for the state.
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