ABOARD THE MV WENATCHEE — The captain announces a wireless Internet demonstration and Mobilisa Inc. representatives notice a sudden surge of interest on Washington’s busiest ferry route.
It was like that much of Friday morning when Port Townsend-based Mobilisa Inc. demonstrated its first-in-the-world “Wireless Over Water” technology aboard the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry run.
And response to the new service generally fit its acronym: WOW.
Those checking out the new wireless Internet on the ferry cruise to the Emerald City include intensely focused commuters in business suits, and passengers who just want to experience the first-time lark of e-mailing family from a cruising ferry.
Altogether, there were about 400 commuters Friday morning using wireless aboard three ferry runs now set up for it, Mobilisa representatives said.
Surfing the ‘Net
Then there was 9-year-old Orca School four-grader Javin Reid of Port Townsend casually surfing the Web on his tiny Mac laptop with an iPod music player connected.
WOW technology is a new experience, even to a child born in the age of technology.
“It’s really awesome,” Javin said emphatically, adding that the connection is by far faster than his cable hookup at home.
For the less technologically inclined, Mobilisa software engineer Tristin Leonard coached a Peninsula Daily News reporter through the steps to send a wireless e-mail to his editors.
