While David Letterman is taking some unexpected time off due to the writer’s strike, you can still get a strong dose of entertainment in Manhattan courtesy of his television network. CBS is outfitting a 34 square block region in New York that will provide users with free WiFi internet access. No subscriptions, no fees. Just free WiFi for your handhelds and laptops… and you don’t even need to buy a coffee at Starbucks to qualify.

There is a catch, of course. While you will be provided with free wireless Internet access, the price you pay is that you will be served up some CBS-fueled advertising. There’s a possibility that these ads will be geo-targeted as well. What’s more, CBS is offering free routers to local business to help “enhance” the coverage. If this is the case and there is geo-targeting, you could totally run ads for your shop targeted for people across the street.

The 34-block blanket runs north from Times Square to Central Park, getting flanked on either side by 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue. It’s not quite city-wide WiFi, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.