While other artists are busy concocting official websites in a bid to be a choice destination for Internet users, David Bowie is going one step further and hoping to be the vehicle that helps you navigate the web.

The singer plans to launch his own online service, BowieNet, in August, and promises the service will offer full Internet access with a heavy Bowie flavor. For a monthly subscription fee, BowieNet says it will deliver standard online fare such as news, weather, sports, e-mail, newsgroups, and access to the web, but will pepper it with Bowie exclusives like unreleased music and video, studio cameras, a davidbowie.com e-mail address, and other goodies.

Users who want Bowie to be their gateway to the Internet can sign up for the full BowieNet package for $19.95 a month and will receive access to an extensive network of local dial-in numbers, technical support from Concentric Network, and all the Bowie-related multimedia nuggets that davidbowie.com offers up. Fans who want to check out the exclusive Bowie content but don't want to leave their current Internet service providers can subscribe to that portion of the service for $5.95 a month. BowieNet is currently taking subscription requests at davidbowie.com.

The move would put Bowie near the front of the race to offer the kind of specialized, boutique access to the Internet that is expected to challenge larger, broader Internet service providers.