IP Democracy: Finally, Free AT&T Wi-Fi at Starbucks

In an unexpected move, Starbucks is getting rid of its lame T-Mobile pay-as-you-go Wi-Fi service and will instead offer free AT&T Wi-Fi service across its 7,000 owned-and-operated and 100,000 partner-affiliated locations in the U.S. For many people, perhaps the majority of Starbucks customers, the coffee shops have become gathering places for work, study and just hanging out. Increasingly, the ability to access the Internet via laptops has become part and parcel of all these activities.

But the T-Mobile Wi-Fi service is a big pain to use...and costly too at $6 per hour or $10 per day. Moreover, Starbucks' rivals, including the increasingly attractive local mom-and-pop coffee shops, often offer no-charge Wi-Fi.

The service will be free to Starbucks store card holders as well 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verse Internet customers. AT&T says it will extend the complimentary Wi-Fi option to its mobile phone customers soon, a double bonus for iPhone owners (who, if they're like me, are frustrated and confused by the current Wi-Fi connection to iTunes that Starbucks offers in the wake of its deal with Apple.)

For folks who don't have any of these things (and I think a Starbucks card is pretty easy to get...just like a gift card), the service will be available on a premium basis. A two-hour connection will be priced at $3.99, $2 less than the T-Mobile service, with monthly subscriptions available for $19.99.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on February 11, 2008 12:15 PM to IP Democracy