If you are like me, you’ve always wondered exactly how long Starbucks would get away with charging for Wi-Fi at its 15,000 locations. We found out yesterday that the answer is six years.
Starting this year Starbucks will be ditching T-Mobile as default Wi-Fi provider in half of its retail locations in favor of AT&T. Starbucks is opting to go the route that independent coffee houses have known for some time: if you give away Wi-Fi, customers will come in droves. Free access will be limited to two hours, so I don’t think we’ll see any start-ups forming at your local Starbucks. This is good news nonetheless.
My take: Frankly, I prefer to do my geekery at the small coffeeshops, but the big news here is the extension of location-based services, which Starbucks and Apple initially introduced with the Wi-Fi enabled iTunes Music Store. This allowed iPhone and iPod Touch users to hear and buy music currently playing in Starbucks locations. AT&T and Starbucks plan to “provide customers with location-specific information, more ‘digital experiences,’ and a sense of community online in each store.”
So today we mobile geeks got hit with a double whammy of good news: more free Wi-Fi and more location-based services.
PS. I also wonder if there is a third bit of news hidden in the announcement, that AT&T may leverage its current 3G network to offer the wireless service instead of using fixed lines, which would expand 3G coverage across the country and simultaneously lower access costs.
I thought I read that free access was limited to AT&T DSL customers that logged in with their user/pass. Maybe that’s just for people that want to move past the 2-hour mark.
I thought the same as James. Regardless, I hate coffee.
me too hehe :p really nice article
Starbuck has been one of the most famous hang out of most people in different classes. Their different coffee flavored drinks are in demand any part of the world. With their new marketing strategy, the company sales will definitely increase.
Good article..i’m waiting for unlimited wireless web.