The current trends in Internet and networking technology involve
a cutting of the wires.
Internet users are increasingly turning to the freedom of Web
surfing beyond the limitations of even the longest ethernet
cable.
Several businesses in Westwood currently provide wireless
Internet access points in response to a growing demand for the
service.
“Students and (other) people are always looking for
wireless (Internet) access. (Going wireless) was a business
decision,” said John Kim, the owner of Boba Loca on Weyburn
Avenue.
“A store with the feature to surf the Net wirelessly
““ that would be a way to get some sales,” Kim said.
Kim advertises his store’s wireless capabilities on fliers
and lists his business on Web sites and message boards as having
wireless access. The postings have prompted calls from prospective
visitors inquiring about the service, he added.
“Sometimes, there are as many as eight to ten people
online (in the store) at any one time,” Kim said.
Although Boba Loca is a small business, the wireless movement
has not escaped the notice of the big franchises.
Starbucks, for example, offers T-Mobile wireless access in
almost all of its 7,569 locations worldwide, including those in
Westwood.
Users who wish to access the T-Mobile “HotSpots”
must pay a fee and sign up for a service plan through T-Mobile.
Once users are on a plan, they can connect to the Internet
wirelessly at any area with a T-Mobile HotSpot sign.
Other telecommunications companies aren’t going to be left
behind. Verizon is now launching its own wireless Internet access
points in New York, giving Verizon Online customers wireless access
for no additional charge.
Students can tap into these networks by installing a wireless
card onto a laptop, personal digital assistant or other electronic
device capable of Internet access.
“Although wireless connectivity is slower than wired
connectivity, the service is very convenient,” said Eddie
Kohler, an assistant professor in the UCLA Computer Science
Department.
Besides a slower connection, the difficulty of securing the
Internet broadcast signal has also slowed down wireless coverage
expansion.
Protected by data encryption technology, wireless Internet
access is currently available on the UCLA campus in various
locations, including UCLA Anderson School of Management, the Court
of Sciences, and the first floor of Ackerman Union.
“Think of (wireless Internet) like walkie-talkies for
computers. Two computers have radios capable of transmitting and
receiving, and they use radio-like waves to talk with each
other,” Kohler said.
To encourage the growth of demand and to sidestep access fees,
participants in an underground movement known as “war
driving” post the locations of free unsecured wireless
Internet access points.
Studies predict the number of people who use wireless access
points globally will triple this year, from 9.3 million to 30
million.