Web Access Offered At Park Bench

By: Chris Fontaine, Associated Press Writer (AP) Amid the squirrels, pigeons, flower beds, and manicured lawns of Abbey Gardens, one can plug a modem into a park bench and check e-mail, download files, or simply surf the Web -- absolutely free.

The wooden bench, discreetly wired with four phone lines that are accessible to any laptop-carrying park-goer, has been a media darling and a local novelty since its unveiling earlier this month.

It is unclear, though, whether middle Britain has the demand -- or the climate -- for public, outdoor Internet access. Rain, vandals and the potentially high cost of providing the service all threaten the 2-week-old bench's future.

The town council is nonetheless pleased with the latest addition to Abbey Gardens, named for the ruins of an 11th-century abbey. The old church grounds are said to be where 25 powerful barons vowed in 1214 to force King John to sign the Magna Carta.

The bench drew international coverage when it opened, when it was first vandalized, and when some people started using it to make free international phone calls.

"Tourism is very important here," said town spokeswoman Ann Clarke. "The bench has sparked a huge amount of interest."

The bench's creators -- MSN, Microsoft Corp.'s online service and Britain's largest Internet service provider -- are also benefiting from the publicity, but the company says it views the project as a social experiment rather than a profit-seeking business decision.

"It's a trial to see how people will react. This isn't the launch of the 'Microsoft Internet Bench' or anything like that," said MSN spokesman Stuart Anderson. "What we're really trying to do is demonstrate how the Internet is going to be a part of everyday life in the future."

During a spot check Wednesday, only a few residents took advantage of the bench's high-tech hardware, while significantly more unwary tourists used it for more traditional purposes -- resting and eating lunch.

The town has one Internet cafe, Megabyte, which opened six weeks ago to what it admits is a slow start. The area's first Internet cafe closed down two years ago, shortly after the town library started offering free, limited Web access.

The bench is nonetheless the talk of the town. Settling in and logging on invariably leads to friendly visits by passers-by, usually just wondering if the bench is still working properly.

It works fine. Users can get a relatively quick dial-up connection, access is unlimited, and there is no flood of pop-up ads that accompany many free services found in some U.S. airports and shopping malls.

The only limitations appear to be that one must have a notebook computer, an ISP to dial up to (the nearby tourism office gives away free copies of MSN Freeweb), and decent battery life.

One enthusiastic bench user is George Gooch, a 65-year-old retired computer engineer. He has already made half a dozen visits to the bench, driving seven miles from his rural home to walk his dog and download antivirus and software updates.

Why drive to town for what he could easily achieve from home? The sun and fresh air are nice, but it's the free access that attracts Gooch.

"I don't know what they're trying to achieve, but I'm certainly going to take advantage of it," he said. Local calls are not free in Britain, and flat-rate Internet services are just starting to hit the market.

"I figure, use the bench or lose it," he added.

Using the bench too much could also lead to its demise. MSN developed and installed the bench -- a $5,600 job -- and is footing the phone bills for the first three months. After that, it's up to the town council to keep it going.

Clarke said it's too early to say whether the council can afford to provide free access. MSN said it has not received its first phone bill, and neither side is willing to speculate on an average monthly cost.

Then there's the maintenance to consider. Rain has already seeped in and shut the bench down once, and the hardware must be replaced annually. A security camera also is being installed to ward off the vandals.

On the Net: Bury St. Edmunds home page