DSL, with a side of WiFi to go

SBC Communications is offering its DSL customers the ability to sign up for a $1.99 add-on allowing them to use WiFi networks at airports, coffee shops and other remote locations.

The idea could be particularly important as AT&T and others start offering Wi-Max services over the next few years. The advantage of Wi-Max is that you'll be able to bring your laptop down to the park or coffee shop and log in there, while DSL customers might otherwise be stuck at their house.

I used to scoff at the attraction of coffee shop WiFi until I wrote a book almost entirely at local cafes. It was immensely helpful to have Net access while writing, even to the point of listening to my Rhapsody subscription music service while on the road. I quickly became a WiFi evangelist.

The tricky thing for SBC is distribution of its FreedomLink service. If there's no local hotspot in my neighborhood, then I don't care. Or if it's at McDonalds, that's not much better. Who needs Net access at a fast food restaurant? But it's the right idea, and I hope it expands.