Geek Mystique

Surf Now, Fly Later

Dave Andrews

From 3Com (aka Candlestick) Park to rock concerts, Internet-access terminals are showing up in various mainstream venues. Now they are also arriving in airports and hotels. Atcom/Info, which is a San Diego-based provider of public communication and information resources, will have 10 of its Internet-access kiosks ( see the picture ) installed at Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport. From there, business travelers will have access to e-mail, the Web, Internet newsgroups, ticketing services, information about local attraction s, and other information. Each kiosk will have one sit-down and one stand-up access terminal, plus two stations for phone service. An electronic card-reader slot will accept credit-card payments. GTE, which is installing the terminals , will also provide the ISDN connections.

If you're too busy to stop at the airport to do some Web surfing, or to dash off a last-second e-mail message, perhaps you can do so when you get to your hotel. Atcom/Info is developing Internet-access systems for hotels that will allow busy business travelers to log in on the road even if they have forgotten their notebook.

---

Net Access Joins Mom and Apple Pie

photo_link (15 Kbytes)