Wireless in Bury St Edmunds

Blogging Live from....SoBar

So, here I am as promised... blogging live from one of Bury St Edmund's newest Wi-Fi Hotspots, the SoBar Cafe on the corner of Hatter Street and Langton Place.

For the uninitiated, Wi-Fi is the technology which enables mobile devices such as laptops to remotely log onto the Internet. In the UK, there has been a steady increase of venues offering Wi-Fi access to customers.

These venues have become popularly known as Hotspots and are becoming widespread in towns and cities. In fact, the city of Norwich, only an hour's drive from Bury, has become a pioneer of the technology by providing free Wi-Fi access to wireless users through 200 antennae that have been installed across the city. It has become known as a giant Hotspot, which sadly has led to a Wi-Fi health scare, while experts research the risks associated with the use of the technology on such grand scale.

However, here in Bury St Edmunds, Wi-Fi Hotspots are emerging on a much smaller scale, but all the same, these relatively new facilities are indicative of the wider picture.

Accessing the Internet in SoBar this morning was free and painless, even for a non-techy. The router was already available and once my laptop had been booted-up, I was shown a list of networks I could select. After selecting the SoBar network, it connected within seconds with no password required.

So, here I am, sat enjoying a latte in the comfort of a cafe-bar rather than sat at my desk at home. The recent extension to include cafe facilities is a welcome addition to Bury St Edmunds, helping to create the cafe culture which so many residents would like to see in Bury.

There is the opportunity to sit outside, but with the rain pouring down I am not tempted today. Instead, on a day like today, the comfortable sofa with the gentle music playing in the background is a far more attractive option.

I like this space. It is an interesting venue, with unique furniture that I love.


I also like the fact that they serve lunch, offering a healthy menu of jacket potatoes and sandwiches. It is reassuringly inexpensive rather than a member of "rip-off Britain", with a jacket potato starting at £2.00 plus 75p for a filling.


So...guess where I will be staying for the next hour or so!

And what about next week...We are lucky to have a fine choice of venues in Bury, so I will be able to take my pick from one of these (which also offer free access)....

So remember where you saw this first and if you have a Wi-Fi laptop and a free spirit, why not come and join in...!