POTTSTOWN PA – So let’s say you’re cruising east on High Street, heading from Stowe to Sanatoga, with your brand-new WiFi-enabled tablet computer sitting on the adjacent seat in your car. All of a sudden, you get this urge to send an e-mail to your aunt, who you haven’t talked to since she forced you to cut your hair in the ’70s. You pull over and, right there at the curb, you begin pecking away, “Dear Aunt Minnie …”

Hey, it could happen. And now thanks to cable television and Internet service provider Comcast, it could happen for free – twice – this month only.

During July (2011) only, use free WiFi twice in greater Pottstown where you see a red square

A Comcast executive in his blog on Friday (July 1, 2011) announced that the company’s Xfinity-brand WiFi hotspots, which cover thousands of small and usually connected areas in southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, would be free for use by the public twice during July for up to 60 minutes each time.

There are dozens of such hotspots in Pottstown PA along West High, High, and East High streets, by the way (shown as red squares on the map above), which make your missive to Minnie possible. There are lots of others nearby, too. Search for those near you, here.

Sure, sure, there are rules and caveats with any give-away. This one’s no exception. It applies only to out-of-home WiFi services; you’ll still pay, as an example, without a discount or break for whatever services Comcast provides at your house. You’ll be required to log-in, which is how you’ll be limited to two timed uses. Hotspots are locations outside a home, usually at a business but sometimes also out on the street, where you can also connect to the Internet.

Usually, you’d pay a fee for the privilege. Not so during July. Use your computer’s capability to find an Xfinity hot spot near you, log onto it, register and follow the prompted instructions, and you’ll be surfing.

Hopefully, however, not while you’re also cruising. That’s just dangerous, and think of how ashamed Minnie might feel.