E-mailing from the beach? No big deal. Checking a bank statement from the backyard? Still not impressed. But streaming an MP3 on M-45? Yeah, you can do that now, too.

It's possible now to carry a laptop with you and keep an active Internet connection while traveling at speeds up to 70 miles an hour in an area of Jamestown Township and southern Hudsonville thanks to the launch of the first phase of the Ottawa County Wireless Internet project.

While that's not saying it's OK to drive and surf — please, obey all traffic laws — at the same time, it means a new level of mobility with Internet access for residents of Ottawa County.

The launch that took place this morning only covers about 15 square miles by broadcasting to the south in a 120 degree arc, but another test launch expected in June for the Allendale area will add even more ground that the new signal network will cover. The network is being developed by Ottawa County with Grand Rapids-based company Broadbreeze Communications to eventually cover the entire county with a high-speed, fully mobile wireless broadband Internet service.

The relatively new technology, commonly known as 3G, uses cellular-based wireless technology, making it different from Wi-Fi "hotspots" that are available throughout the city of Grand Haven and some other select locations in the county.

A normal Wi-Fi hotspot only covers a small area, about the size of a coffee shop or an average house, before the signal dies out or is no longer strong enough to support an active connection. By using the cellular based technology, Broadbreeze can use a licensed frequency to broadcast its signal more than 6 miles over flat ground from a single tower. The 3G technology also doesn't require line-of-sight, which means even homes in heavily wooded areas can get service.

In Jamestown, the ground variations shorten the usable signal distance to just over 3 miles, but that's precisely one of the reasons Broadbreeze chose Jamestown as the testing ground, General Manager Bryan Blackburn said.

Paul Sachs, a Management Analyst for Ottawa County said the purpose of the testing period is to determine the signal strength, reliability and range with differing spring weather conditions, increases in foliage on trees and how the signal deals with variations in land patterns.

"I am pleased that Jamestown Township was selected as the first pilot area to deploy this progressive, new technology," said Jim Miedema, Jamestown Township Supervisor. "Because this wireless network has the capability to bridge the technology gap between rural townships like ours and more densely populated areas that have several broadband options, I am hopeful that the system will be expanded quickly."

Once the specifics of the program are set and 95 percent of the test residents and businesses are satisfied with the service, the full-scale launch for the entire county will take place. Mark Knudsen, planning and grants director for the county, said it would be possible to see the system entirely up and running across the county by the end of 2007, with progress being made throughout the summer of 2006 if the pilot is successful.

In addition to allowing users to trek across the countryside, laptop in tow, the system has other benefits.

"This new countywide system, once it's in place, will take care of the needs of our underserved rural population," Knudsen said.

Currently, much of the more rural sectors of Ottawa County don't have an option for Internet access except for an old telephone dial-up modem. The speed, or lack thereof, of those connections is quickly becoming outdated. The only substitute for the dial-up for some of these residents is Internet via satellite, which Blackburn said can be slow and unreliable at times.

In addition to supplying rural areas with high-speed access without the wires, the new broadband system could also be a factor in bringing more tech-saavy companies to the area, Knudsen said. Other improvements could include increased possibilities for telecommuting, distance learning via the Internet or video conferencing for local municipalities and county departments.

One county department that could use the technology to bring its communications to full potential is the Emergency Services Department, said Bill Smith, emergency services director.

"This technology has some serious potential," Smith said. "During a large event, we could use this technology to assist us in sending in reports to various agencies, send requests for assistance and updates on situations."

Smith explained that it would be easier for him to send a group message instead of spending time away from a disaster to call individual municipalities on the phone, and that the high-speed access would work well with their communications trailer, allowing it to "operate to its full potential" by being able to communicate quickly with the state of Michigan's new emergency management software, which is Internet-based.

"It surely would make my job a lot easier," Smith said. "The current system is slow, and this will provide us with a vehicle to utilize the technology to its fullest extent."

Eric Sigler, lead engineer on the project for Broadbreeze, said he's been working with the technology for about six years, and this delivery method is simply "a much, much better way to deliver a familiar concept."

"As we go down the road, the capacity and technology of this is just going to keep expanding," Sigler said.

Continued access while moving throughout the county will be possible because of the same concept that allows cell phone calls to be transferred seamlessly between different towers. Broadbreeze estimates it will only take between 12 and 18 signal points to cover the entire county from edge to edge, and most, if not all of the signal repeaters will be mounted on existing water, radio or cell phone towers.

For the tech-saavy, Voice Over Internet Protocol Internet telephony will be available by the third quarter of 2006, and IPTV is slated to be an available service by the third quarter of 2007. The computers that use the signal will need a PCMCIA card for laptops, and a desktop modem to connect to the service once the computer turns on. A small antenna will attach via Velcro or a suction cup to a laptop; the wallet-sized modem will attach to a desk for desktops.

Oh, and all you Macintosh lovers out there, don't worry — the service will even work with your Airport-equipped desktop machine or your Apple laptop.

The wireless program won't cost Ottawa County anything — unless they subscribe to the service — as all of the infrastructure will be privately owned and maintained.

Service prices vary greatly between residential and business services, but Blackburn said the service is comparable in speed even at the entry level price to that of DSL and cable modems.

Residential prices start at $14.99 per month, and business packages with speeds up to 1,450k are available.

If the pilot is successful, Broadbreeze representatives said the proposed network will be the largest and the first countywide deployment of the 3G technology in the United States. The only other area Knudsen said is trying to complete a similar project is the city of Washington, D.C.

"It is satisfying to know that Ottawa County is one of the first in the country to be deploying this third-generation wireless technology on such a large scale basis," Sachs said. "It is all the more rewarding to know that broadband service will be priced at a rate where greater numbers of consumers in the county will be able to have access to high-speed Internet."