That's exactly the service Open Door Networks, Inc., and Project A, Inc., local Internet companies, will demonstrate at the Starbucks in Ashland, 120 East Main Street, Thursday Feb. 1, at 6 p.m.
In cooperation with the City of Ashland and Starbucks, the companies are launching "Ashland Unwired," which will provide wireless high-speed fiber network (AFN) access throughout the city. Community members, students, and tourists who have wireless enabled devices can shop online, see what's playing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, or check e-mail--all while sipping a latte.
"Ashland Unwired is one of the first implementations anywhere of high-speed wireless Internet access," Alan Oppenheimer, president of Open Door Networks, said. "Even the largest metropolitan areas are barely starting to talk about this type of wireless technology and we have it here in Ashland today."
Ashland is once again maintaining and continuing its technology leadership throughout the country by using the potential of AFN.
"This technology extends the power of the Ashland Fiber Network, power that is not available to towns the size of Ashland," Jim Teece, CEO of Project A, said.
At the event, local technology experts will be on hand to answer any questions about the service and will show off the many marvels of the system. The event also includes free coffee provided by Starbucks and a chance to win everything from mouse pads to t-shirts courtesy of Open Door Networks and Project A.
Ashland Unwired utilizes technology popularized by Apple Computer. Owners of any recent Macintosh that supports Apple's "Airport" technology will have immediate access. This includes the iMac and iBook laptops. The technology is now being built into PCs from IBM and Dell, and is also available for other Windows machines and older Macs through plugin PC cards. As part of the Ashland Unwired effort, Project A will provide a site for people interested in purchasing the plugin cards or more information about Ashland Unwired at www.ashlandunwired.com.
Starbucks will be the first business in Ashland to offer Ashland Unwired. The service will be completely free to their customers. "Ashland Unwired allows us to bring more to our customers," Darcy Carlton, store manager of the Ashland Starbucks, said. "Many of our customers use laptops in our store already and we feel the wireless service will add to their coffee house experience. By talking with our customers, we know this is something people have been wanting and telling us they need."
Any business that has AFN access can offer Ashland Unwired. Project A and Open Door Networks, city-certified Internet Service Providers, will provide the AFN connection and consultation to help any business or organization wishing to provide Ashland Unwired to their customers. "To install the service it only took them two hours at the most to get us up and running," Carlton, said.