Monday, April 12, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas still among most unwired cities

Plentiful wi-fi hot spots help city rank 41st in Intel ranking

Charles Walker sits by his personal computer in his recreational vehicle Tuesday at Las Vegas International RV Park. Walker said he chose the RV park because it offers wireless Internet access. Photo by John Locher.

Good connections -- even the wireless kind -- do pay off, according to Intel, which once again ranked Las Vegas as one of the "most unwired cities" in the United States.

Although Las Vegas' No. 41 ranking in this year's survey, released last week, was unchanged from last year, the personal computer processing chip-maker placed the city ahead of other top business centers such as Kansas City, Mo.; Milwaukee; and San Antonio.

Wireless Internet access is sweeping the nation as more laptop computers come "wireless ready" out of the box. Cards built into computers let users connect and surf the Internet when they are within a "hot spot," stores and other public areas that offer wireless connections either for free or at a nominal charge.

Hot spot sites range from hotels to Starbucks coffeehouses.

"The ease of wireless access is driven by the surge of laptops and wireless devices from people looking for places to hook up," said Bert Sperling, a researcher who partnered with Intel to do the study. "Las Vegas is certainly the growth capital of the U.S. these days, and your city is a really happening spot."

Intel's research also listed the top U.S. university campuses and airports that provide wireless access. Although neither the University of Nevada, Las Vegas nor McCarran International Airport was named, the study did note that Las Vegas International RV Resort was becoming a popular destination for tourists seeking wireless Internet access while camping in their recreational vehicles.

Garth Murphy, the resort's manager, agreed that his resort's wireless service is popular with guests.

"We've had the service in for about a year and we've also replaced our retail center with a complete business center with services like copying, faxing and wireless Internet," Murphy said. "Many of our guests are not retired, they just like to travel and they like to bring their laptops with them and stay connected."

Murphy offers the service for free and said demand alone is drawing a steady stream of guests to the resort.

"Over 85 percent of my guests book a reservation off the Internet. It is astonishing," Murphy added.

Jonathan Snyder, chief executive of KeyOn Communications, a local wireless Internet service provider, said consumers' ability to visit various retail locations and access the Internet wirelessly is powerful.

"Road warriors can pop into their Starbucks and open up their laptops and begin working," Snyder said. "People are conducting lunch meetings around wireless hot spots."

KeyOn provides wireless service to establishments such as Subway restaurants and Panera Bread bakeries, which, in turn, provide wireless access to their customers.

"For the mobile traveler to students, to be able to log onto any network and begin surfing the Internet is a very powerful element," Snyder said.