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Kitty Hawk Introduces Internet Hotspots for Sailors

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS041019-05
Release Date: 10/19/2004 3:49:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class David Beyea, USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- In October, the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) division aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) delivered a boost to local Sailors' quality of life with a new means of Internet connection for Sailors aboard the conventionally powered aircraft carrier, introducing "K-Spots."

"K-Spot" is Kitty Hawk's name for its new wireless hotspot locations, installed over the last two weeks in the mess decks and wardroom areas aboard the ship, and at the ship's shore-side training facility, Hawk's Nest. These hotspots provide a cost-free location for Sailors to connect to the Internet with personal computers, personal digital assistants, cellular phones and other electronics devices that have wireless Internet capability.

"A hotspot is a wireless node," said Information Systems Technician 1st Class Jamie Andrews, of Kitty Hawk's combat systems department. "If you have a laptop with a wireless connection, you can gain access to the Internet."

Hotspots have recently become popular in Yokosuka, especially for Sailors that live on ships, explained Damage Controlman Fireman Nicholas Filton, of Kitty Hawk's MWR office. The limited number of public places on base that have hotspots are exceeded by the number of Sailors who wish to use them. With this in mind, MWR undertook a project to have the K-Spots installed aboard Kitty Hawk.

"We realized that the hotspots were pretty popular around base, and we wanted to make them readily available to Sailors on the ship," said Filton.

Kitty Hawk's hotspots are not only easily accessible by Sailors; they also provide more convenient, less expensive Internet access.

Although Kitty Hawk's hotspots are run by the same commercial provider that supplies hotspots to Fleet Activities Yokosuka, thanks to Kitty Hawk's MWR office, Sailors using the K-Spots never have to worry about paying a monthly fee.

"This is a service that the ship's MWR is paying for. Sailors get to use it free of charge," said Master Chief Information Systems Technician (SW) Donald Acker, of the MWR office.

"It's convenient, as you don't have to fight for a place to sit," said Andrews. "It gives people access to the Internet on their own personal computers and it's free, so you don't have to pay a service provider fee."

All that is required to use the free hotspot is to sit down in Kitty Hawk's aft mess decks, wardroom or Hawk's Nest with a wireless Internet computer, and register for the service. The online registration is done the first time a user "logs on" to the K-Spot and requires an e-mail address, username and password.

There are limitations to the K-Spot's free Internet access. In order to ensure proper use of this service, MWR has taken steps to make sure Web surfers follow the Navy's policy on Internet pornography while using the K-Spots.

"These particular hotspots will filter out pornographic and other inappropriate material," said Acker.

MWR hopes to expand the free Internet service to Kitty Hawk's crew in the near future. Future K-Spots are scheduled for the chief petty officers' mess and training rooms. Kitty Hawk plans to complete installation of the K-Spots in the coming weeks.

The Kitty Hawk Strike Group is the largest carrier strike group in the Navy and is composed of the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, Carrier Air Wing 5, the guided-missile cruisers USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and USS Cowpens (CG 63), and Destroyer Squadron 15.