Someday soon a driver will plop into a truckstop restaurant booth, open up his laptop computer, order a plate of Hungarian goulash then surf the web while he waits for the food -- without plugging anything in.

That’s because some truckstops will soon become wireless Internet service providers. Anyone within range of the truckstop’s wireless Internet hub will be able to log on and surf -- for a price, of course.
The technology comes from NetNearU of Bryan, Texas, a public Internet access company that will launch what it calls Public Wireless Internet Access Points at a technology show in Orlando next week. NetNearU already has wired Internet kiosks at a number of truckstops nationally.
The new wireless system will be installed at truckstops, restaurants, airports and other public locations. It will enable high-speed, wireless Internet connections with any properly equipped device. Those devices will include laptop computers, handheld computers or other devices with 802.11b communications modules.
In the case of a driver with a laptop, he or she will only need to open the computer's web browser software. They will be prompted on the screen that their computer detects the availability of wireless Internet access.
802.11b is a rapidly spreading standard for short-range wireless communications. It is similar to, but incompatible with, the more widely publicized Bluetooth technology. However, 802.11b is beating Bluetooth into the marketplace.
The 802.11b standard is for short-range wireless communication between properly equipped devices. In the case of a laptop, that might mean a 802.11b PCMCIA card that plugs into the machine. In other cases it will mean built-in 802.11b modules.
The NetNearU pre-announcement stressed the ease of installing the system and said that resulting revenue will be shared between NetNearU and the truckstop or other location.
NetNearU Marketing Vice President Diana Bregman said that 20 to 30 users can be logged on simultaneously at a single installation. The company will be announcing specific truckstop installations within the next month, she said.