Coffee house first local 'hot spot'

Customers of a new Charleston coffee house are getting wired and going wireless at the same time.

Kool Beanz Koffee & Kreme took its place Tuesday as the area's first commercial "hot spot," a specially equipped public gathering place where patrons can jump on the Internet or check electronic messages without having to plug into a telephone outlet.

"It's the deal," said Jonathan Morant, a onetime music producer who opened the Caribbean-theme Kool Beanz at 433 King St. recently with business partner David Hall.

Still in the testing phase, the cafe's wireless service is the first step in a larger local rollout being planned by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's ThinkTec affiliate, BellSouth Corp. and wireless broadband provider Aerolina. If all goes well, the service will be available at 25 high-traffic sites over the coming months, said Lisa Ryan, ThinkTec's director.

Those locations will be promoted to visitors and residents, she said. Wireless hot spots can be as small as a coffee shop or as large as a convention center. It has been estimated that 12,000 have been set up worldwide, with much of the growth being fueled by communities that want to offer high-speed broadband to consumers who have little or no access to it.

A key objective of the Charleston rollout is rooted in economic development. Supporters said they hope it will reinforce the area's commitment to expanding the local technology industry. "We want to be aggressive because it shows how important knowledge-based growth is for the region," Ryan said.

Also, she said, hot spots are seen as an important "cultural" amenity among the computer-savvy set. "A wireless environment is attractive to technology folks," she said.

At the heart of the Kool Beanz system is a small device from Charleston-based Aerolina that operates like a cordless telephone. It links wireless laptop computers and personal digital assistants to a BellSouth land line, which then completes the high-speed Internet hookup. The system has a range of about 300 feet, said Scott Adams of Aerolina.

He envisions units being installed at other places such as Marion Square and local hotel lobbies. The passenger terminal at Charleston International Airport is another natural site, he said.

BellSouth became involved partly to showcase its broadband service and test the wireless Internet waters, said Ted Creech, regional director. "If people can't use it to make their working lives and personal lives more convenient, more productive and more fun, the technology doesn't succeed, " Creech said.

The fees for the service have not yet been determined, Adams said. But it's likely that a variety of subscription options will be offered, from pay-by-the hour deals to unlimited monthly plans. During the test phase, customers are being given pre-paid calling cards.