At Work Or Play: No Escaping The Network

Advances in technology are eliminating barriers of speed and distance, bringing the Internet to the places where people used to go to escape from being connected. I write this as I sit on a hill that is normally a hay farm, watching the stage at a Bluegrass festival that's almost as connected as any business that's totally dependent on wireless networking and communication technology.

Take the outdoor festival and event business as an example: Everything from small cookouts and dog shows to multiday music events all over the world are tied in through WANs and the Internet. At one of the many festivals I attend, I sat in the field watching The Police while a guy nearby blogged "live" about the concert and festival, and this was far—and I mean very, very far—from any major city. Nashville was over an hour away. Just for this festival, organizers brought in Wi-Fi 802.11 high-speed Internet, and all the major cellular carriers set up extra towers for better service. This temporary service is good enough for me to use my Wi-Fi phone through my Asterisk PBX back on Long Island, N.Y., without any problems, and I was pleasantly surprised at the clarity of the phone calls and the signal quality around the festival site.

Many other festivals and outdoor events in previously unconnected and untapped markets are now mainstream business. Almost every festival or large outdoor event either has Wi-Fi, high-speed Internet or cellular access. L&D has provided Internet coverage for many outdoor festivals and events. The applications for these technologies range from streaming the event's sound and video, to handling event logistics and on-site communications (reducing the number of radios that have to be rented for event staff), credit-card processing to checking flights. Bands, producers and directors are all now dependent on the Internet. And, of course, when participants use their phones to take pictures and send them to their friends, that is a form of marketing for the next event.

I must say that with all the mobile devices out there, there seem to be as many, if not more, people than ever who can't find their friends in a crowd. This new world is creating enough need for a whole slew of wireless applications—like ones that can help you find your friends. All you need to do is be socially responsible with the implementations. Wireless technology is changing community interactions, and participants at many of these events are changing as well. But no matter how addicted to the Internet we become, I hope we take time out to experience nature and appreciate the wonderful planet we live on.

Leonard Shostak is president of L&D Computer Consulting, Garden City, N.Y., a full-service technology consultancy. What's on your mind? Send Letters to Jennifer Hagendorf Follett, assistant news editor, at jfollett@cmp.com.