Connected at the old ballgame
Astros to offer WiFi service starting today

The next time an Astros fan attends a "businessman's special" day game, it should be easier for him to fool his boss into believing he's still at work. That's because, starting today, spectators at Minute Maid Park can go online with their laptops.

The availability of the high-speed wireless Internet access — known as "wireless fidelity," or WiFi — is the result of a partnership between the Houston Astros and Time Warner Cable-Houston.

For $3.95, the user receives four hours of online access, provided the computer hardware is WiFi compatible. The user pays for the Road Runner service online with a credit card.

WiFi lets fans get online from their seats without a plug-in.

Time Warner spokeswoman Carrie Milbank said the Astros and Time Warner will share the revenue generated from WiFi service, but did not give a breakdown of the arrangement.

The Astros may do more with WiFi, said Andrew Huang, Astros vice president of marketing.

One possibility is offering users an online electronic scorecard.

Another is to enable fans to order concessions online if it's feasible, Huang said, as well as provide instant replay, if Major League Baseball allows it.

The Astros are not the first Major League Baseball team to offer WiFi, but they are among the pioneers.

San Francisco's SBC Park, home of the Giants, has been offering WiFi service free of charge, at least for this season.

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