Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Texas plans Wi-Fi at highway rest stops

An AP story says the Texas transportation department wants people to stop at rest areas and stay a while to rest, so they're encouraging folks by offering free Wi-Fi hot spots.


DALLAS - To encourage drivers to take more frequent breaks, the Texas Department of Transportation wants to set up free wireless Internet access at rest stops and travel information centers.

The department is accepting bids until next week and plans to choose a vendor in July. The chosen company won't be paid, however, to provide the free access.

TxDOT, which says Texas is the first state to provide such free access at rest areas, began experimenting with Wi-Fi hotspots last fall.

"The feedback we've received so far has been very positive," said Andy Keith, manager of TxDOT's maintenance division. "Texas' highways are seeing an increasing number of business travelers, truckers and RVers and access to e-mail is important to them."
....


I dunno, sometimes ideas like this can have unintended consequences.

-- What if those truckers stay up all night in chat rooms instead of resting?

-- What if um, professional services folks use the Internet to meet clients?

-- What if those without an ISP set up camp and never leave?

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