AT&T Takes Over Starbucks Wi-FiBroadband customers suddenly broaden their access options... ( old news - 11:43AM Monday Feb 11 2008) tags: business · wireless · telco · AT&T Southeast · AT&T Midwest · AT&T SouthwestSomething of note for AT&T DSL subscribers who get free Wi-Fi access with their connections: Starbucks has dropped their relationship with T-Mobile and will now offer Wi-Fi service from AT&T/Wayport. The deal now gives AT&T more than 17,000 U.S. hot spots and 70,000 globally. According to AT&T, Starbucks card holders will get two hours of free Wi-Fi per day, and employees (partners) will get free access. From the press release: Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verseSM Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In addition, more than 5 million of AT&T's remote access services business customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers. AT&T is also changing access pricing, which used to be $10 per day and $6 per hour under T-Mobile. Under the AT&T flag, access now costs $6 for two hours of use. $20 remains AT&T's monthly access price, unless you're a broadband customer, most of whom get access for free. AT&T's hotspot locators (which of course doesn't include the Starbucks locations yet) is available here.
Related:- AT&T Begins Rollout of Starbucks Wi-Fi
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Derspankster
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Marion, OH | Who needs $8 coffee anyway? Not me, that's for sure. | |
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joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null | Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? I pay $3.88 for medium mocha or $4.47ish for medium mocha with extra shot. It's a rip of and expensive but its not $8.
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09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0 | |
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Derspankster
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Marion, OH
 ·RoadRunner Cable
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? said by joako  :I pay $3.88 for medium mocha or $4.47ish for medium mocha with extra shot. It's a rip of and expensive but its not $8. I stand corrected.
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I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong | |
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bucks_man
@swbell.net | Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? Perhaps he is buying for two. | |
| | | | | jc100
join:2002-04-10
1 edit | Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? ...What happened to the 89 cents worth of normal black coffee? O yes, it became the 5 dollar expresso that people chug in the A.M.... No wonder America is unhealthy. I forgot how much fat and calories those things had, but man o man, maybe the people sipping their lattes best take a jog afterward instead of sitting on wifi for hours. Just a thought. | |
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Derspankster
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Marion, OH
·RoadRunner Cable
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? said by jc100 :...What happened to the 89 cents worth of normal black coffee? O yes, it became the 5 dollar expresso that people chug in the A.M.... No wonder America is unhealthy. I forgot how much fat and calories those things had, but man o man, maybe the people sipping their lattes best take a jog afterward instead of sitting on wifi for hours. Just a thought. Don't say $5 when you know you can get it for $3.88! This was my point exactly. People apparently love to be ripped off for the ambiance, the "experience", to be seen at Starbucks with your Macbook surfing the net, drinking your latte. Sublime!!
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I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong | |
| | | | | | | jc100
join:2002-04-10
| Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? I guess people can apply that extra $1.12 to their first pacemaker or heart surgery. I mean occasionally that stuff isn't bad but it's like fast food, too much of it kills you. Likewise, I would guess a good majority of the people drinking coffee at those places are regulars, too. Experience of not, 4 dollars for a cup of coffee is ridiculous. Sure, it's not your ordinary cup of black coffee, but who needs all that extra crap anyway? O well, there must be plenty or ATT and Starbucks wouldn't be in such an agreement. Only goes to show people will pay, eat, and drink anything as long as it's "hip". | |
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Qumahlin
Never Enough Time
Premium,MVM
join:2001-10-05
united state
| Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? You say "Only goes to show people will pay, eat, and drink anything as long as it's "hip"
I don't know a single person who goes to Starbucks because it's "hip" they go because they like the drinks...
Also most of the drinks at Starbucks that cost 3+ dollars...also cost 3+ dollars at your local coffee shop. Most people going to starbucks aren't going to buy black coffee that they can get anywhere else for 50-99 cents. | |
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Derspankster
Premium
join:2003-02-12
Marion, OH
·RoadRunner Cable
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Who needs $8 coffee anyway? said by Qumahlin :You say "Only goes to show people will pay, eat, and drink anything as long as it's "hip" I don't know a single person who goes to Starbucks because it's "hip" they go because they like the drinks... I guess you don't know too many people.
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I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong | |
| | | | | | | demontop
join:2001-08-21
Chicago, IL
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| I always tell people, there's no such thing as "FREE Wi-Fi" - you just pay for it in some other way.
And the coffee part of a latte or mocha probably still is 89 cents - in 1970's or 1980's dollars, and you're also forgetting steamed milk, which is 85-90% of the drink. Farm subsidies might help farmers, but they don't help the american milk-drinking public, that's for sure.
I love how people conflate the price of coffee so readily to the mystical $5, even though you have to add a bunch of crap to it to get it into that price range, even after the 10.75% sales tax here in Chicago. Why not strap a pair on and just drink straight-up espresso shots if it's that big of a deal?
Back to the Wi-Fi - the plan is limiting starbucks card holders to 2 free hours per day to preserve bandwidth and table real-estate in busier stores, basically so a bunch of freeloader anarchist script kiddie types don't move in to the cozy corner starbucks and spend all day downloading pirated material while sipping on free ice water. Apple is also heavily in bed with Starbucks lately, via iTunes, so I would expect to see some Apple/iTunes banner ads, popups, portal pages, etc. as part and parcel with the "free" access. | |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| said by joako :I pay $3.88 for medium mocha or $4.47ish for medium mocha with extra shot. It's a rip of and expensive but its not $8. It's still essentially flavored water. | |
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BIGMIKE
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Westminster, CA
| said by joako :I pay $3.88 for medium mocha or $4.47ish for medium mocha with extra shot. It's a rip of and expensive but its not $8. Is not $8, is not 3.88, for black large cups of coffee it $1.95. | |
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Rob
In Deo speramus, God Bless the USA
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast
| Re: Seriously? said by Matt :Now witness the power of the fully armed and operational battlestation ...Seriously, more consolidation for AT&T? Is the government really asleep, or perhaps drunk, at the wheel? Are you suggesting the government should prevent AT&T from making partnering contracts with other companies? This is what they are essentially doing, teaming up with Starbucks to provide wifi access to Starbucks customers. They didn't purchase anything, they created a contract. | |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| Re: Seriously? said by Nightfall :Someone was more concerned with posting an image of Grand Moff Tarkin and the whitty quote than reading the article.  At least they did not make the mistake of using Darth Vader. Grand Moff Tarkin was far more of a evil genocidal maniac than Darth Vader ever was.
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This isn't fair! I was only supposed to hate just ONE presidential candidate! | |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | How is this consolidation? | |
| | | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
1 edit | Re: Seriously? It isn't. His hatred has blinded him. Some folks would complain about free sex, money and eternal life if AT&T merely mentioned it.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
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Homebrew1994
Betzwood Basement Brewery
join:2001-11-15
King Of Prussia, PA
| Re: Seriously? said by RadioDoc :It isn't. His hatred has blinded him. Some folks would complain about free sex, money and eternal life if AT&T merely mentioned it. Is that the new triple play?
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My other cyber-pasttime, Where's George
Miserable Failure | |
| | | | | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
1 edit | Re: Seriously? LOL.  | |
| | notwrth10
join:2007-03-03
1001EB
2 edits | said by Matt :Now witness the power of the fully armed and operational battlestation ...Seriously, more consolidation for AT&T? Is the government really asleep, or perhaps drunk, at the wheel? LOL, man you have no clue on contracts do you? Starbucks had a choice. They made it, and apparently T-mobile wasn't it!
I don't think "The Empire" had much to do with a contract. If you want to blame someone, do what the college kids do, blame starbucks!
said by Nightfall :Someone was more concerned with posting an image of Grand Moff Tarkin and the whitty quote than reading the article. Yep, the OP obviously proved to us he can't read.
Hey read this
U SUCK!
said by RadioDoc : Some folks would complain about free sex, money and eternal life if AT&T merely mentioned it. The bad part is I could see him bitching about it here! | |
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milnoc
join:2001-03-05
H2Z
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| I want FREE WiFI! I ain't paying for it! Which is why I like to hang around Montreal's train station or at the Eaton Center's food court. Free WiFi for all! Even my OpenVPN connections work properly from these places. What's AT&T gonna do with that? Believe the encrypted traffic is an illegal download and block it? | |
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GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| Re: I want FREE WiFI! I ain't paying for it! said by milnoc :Which is why I like to hang around Montreal's train station or at the Eaton Center's food court. Free WiFi for all! Even my OpenVPN connections work properly from these places. What's AT&T gonna do with that? Believe the encrypted traffic is an illegal download and block it? And what does AT&T WiFi, free or otherwise, got to do with Canada??
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Internet News
My BLOG
My Web Page | |
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milnoc
join:2001-03-05
H2Z | Re: I want FREE WiFI! I ain't paying for it! Just pointing out that I'm not going to pay for a crippled service when I can get an open service for free. We have huge telcos up here that could be planning the same thing, offering the same range of overpriced, crippled services. | |
| | | FAQFixer
Premium
join:2004-06-28
Powder Springs, GA
1 edit | said by GOLFnSUN :said by milnoc :Which is why I like to hang around Montreal's train station or at the Eaton Center's food court. Free WiFi for all! Even my OpenVPN connections work properly from these places. What's AT&T gonna do with that? Believe the encrypted traffic is an illegal download and block it? And what does AT&T WiFi, free or otherwise, got to do with Canada?? I beleive AT&T has plans to buy all of Canada...just for the ability to outlaw Curling as an official sport.  | |
| whiteyonenh
join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH
clubs: | When are they going to do this for free? I don't understand the concept of paying for WiFi. They can't really expect someone to sit there for a full two-hours to use their $6 of WiFi. Alot of places that I've seen Starbucks locations are within shouting distance of places with free WiFi. | |
| proletarian2
join:2007-01-08
00000 | I'll take my $8 (actually $4) coffee at my LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT coffee house that provides free wifi. | |
| | Thaler
Premium
join:2004-02-02
Encino, CA | Re: I'll take my $8 (actually $4) coffee at Ditto. Charging $6 for a coffee that costs $1 to make, and then dinging extra for the coffeshop WiFi?
No thanks. I'll just get my overpriced caffine swill (bundled with free WiFi) elsewhere. | |
| | demontop
join:2001-08-21
Chicago, IL
·AT&T DSL Service
| what the is an "independent" coffee house? independent of what, praytell? independent of a working profitable business model, or independent of a long-term growth plan or independent of the need to provide their employees with an actual living wage and accessible health care?
And last I checked, all the peeps at my Starbucks down the street are local...in fact, I'd wager most of them walk or bike to work - don't think ya can get more local than that.
And again, somebody's paying for the wifi - advertisers, some shady back-room deal to skim a few cents off the top of each drink sold, or its a write-off for the owner as a means to lure and retain customers - somebody pays for it, 'cuz bandwidth, hardware and administration ain't free. | |
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Mizzat
Will post for thumbs
Premium
join:2003-05-03
Atlanta, GA
·AT&T Southeast
| **Sigh** When can we login in the Southeast (and Connecticut)?
***AT&T Wi-Fi Basic and Premier Subscriptions Services are not yet available in Connecticut, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
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**Disclaimer** My views represent only what the voices in my head tell me. | |
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Rob
In Deo speramus, God Bless the USA
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast
| Re: **Sigh** said by Mizzat :When can we login in the Southeast (and Connecticut)? ***AT&T Wi-Fi Basic and Premier Subscriptions Services are not yet available in Connecticut, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. I thought it was just me. I tried accessing it once and couldn't get on. Guess BellSouth folks keep getting shafted. | |
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not so in LA
@cox.net | Up and running in Louisina. They mainly have McDonalds, but this is good for road warriors as they are everywhere in LA. | |
| | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY | Me too. | |
| romulusnr
join:2007-08-01
Federal Way, WA
1 edit | Umm, what the HELL?! I pay $60/month for two phones to get Total Internet specifically so we can use all the Starbucks locations for free.
Starbucks, fuck you, and fuck your little dog AT&T, too.
I ain't switching to AT&T, that's for damn sure, not the least of which because their data rates suck dick.
Starbucks HQ is about ten blocks south of here. (Uh, and TMO HQ is about ten miles due east.) Makes me want to make a personal visit, if I thought it'd do any good. | |
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See 8 replies to this post | |
STrRedWolf
join:2006-06-18
Severn, MD | What about us 3G users? I have an AT&T USBConnect 881U with a DataConnect (W/wifi) plan. Does this mean my $60/mo also gets me free wifi to take the sting out of a $5 mocha mint frappachino? | |
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M A R K
St. Ides Heaven
Premium
join:2001-06-15
Long Island
clubs: | iPhone? So do i get the free WIFI? I have an iphone with unlimited internet.
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Neturei Karta | |
| | MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX | Re: iPhone? (in Soup Nazi voice) No wi-fi for YOU!
It's for AT&T broadband (DSL and U-verse Internet) customers. Not AT&T mobile. | |
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M A R K
St. Ides Heaven
Premium
join:2001-06-15
Long Island
clubs:
| Re: iPhone? said by MyDogHsFleas :(in Soup Nazi voice) No wi-fi for YOU! It's for AT&T broadband (DSL and U-verse Internet) customers. Not AT&T mobile. Then its a bust
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Neturei Karta | |
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oh4real
@mindspring.com
| Ask and ye shall (perhaps) receive... Hang tight. I imagine Starbucks/Apple/ATT, in an effort to sell iTunes and inspire iPhone purchases, will throw in iPhone access to ATTWifi soon enough.
Just in case, stop by all of your local cingular stores and ask them if as if you didn't own an iphone already and was considering it with the Starbucks/ATT announcement.
Do it enough and it will filter upstairs. Make sure they don't think you are already a customer because then they won't care!
oh4real | |
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JBaughb
@pacbell.net | Re: Ask and ye shall (perhaps) receive... iPhones already get access to wifi inside of Starbucks (for itunes browsing only) cause Apple have an agreement with the bucks. | |
| MyDogHsFleas
Premium
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX
1 edit | in my best Mr. Burns voice: EX-ce-lent! I have AT&T Elite DSL at home, and travel a lot. I use the wi-fi-access all the time. This will open up zillions more locations for me. | |
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drmorley
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-20
Park Ridge, IL
clubs:
| Re: in my best Smithers voice: EX-ce-lent! said by MyDogHsFleas :I have AT&T Elite DSL at home, and travel a lot. I use the wi-fi-access all the time. This will open up zillions more locations for me. Yep, amen to that! This is great news in my world!
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»tehblogs.com | |
| | | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Re: in my best Smithers voice: EX-ce-lent! Yep. Between Starbucks, McDonalds and the UPS Store locations you can't hardly miss them.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
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oh4real
@mindspring.com
| I just signed up for 'dry-loop' ATT DSL Pro yesterday because of this news - combined with 3M DSL is $28.99 from ATT and, since my deal expired, my TWCable is now $43.35.
So, I save $15 per month (deduct $50 for modem) on a NO TERM contract and get free wifi at Starbucks' 7000 locations around US!
Win, win, win! -> unless ATT DSL sucks 
oh4real | |
| Zyniker
Zyniker
Premium
join:2004-12-25
San Pedro, CA
| iPhone II anyone? Surprising that no one is commenting on the clear connection here between ATT, Starbucks, and the iPhone user base...
How many iPhone users you think frequent Starbucks? ATT is expanding 3G coverage and offering WiFi at Starbucks...iPhone II anyone?
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The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, the pessimist fears this is true. | |
|
CT DSL Customer
@snet.net
| DSL Rate Increase $5 per month After AT&T takes over Starbucks Wi-Fi, then AT&T Yahoo bundles Wi-Fi with DSL service and increases the DSL rates $60 per year so we can get free Wi-Fi valued at $60 per year. Hey AT&T management, I DO NOT want Wi-Fi and I am annoyed that you have raised my rate. The home DSL customer needs more fiber optic cable deployed so we can BUY faster DSL services for use at home. | |
| stufried
Premium
join:2003-10-13
·Verizon BroadbandA..
| This Will Hurt Tmobile I think this will certainly hurt TMobile because many people consider the free wi-fi and the lower prices and offset for TMobile only having EDGE. When you take Starbucks out of the equation, TMobile's offering shrinks in size.
Conversely, Starbucks isn't what it used to be. As Starbucks has been trying to drive up its bottom line, the newer stores seem smaller and less comfortable places to hang out and use your laptop. | |
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Coffee Achiever
@rr.com
| Re: This Will Hurt Tmobile said by stufried :I think this will certainly hurt TMobile because many people consider the free wi-fi and the lower prices and offset for TMobile only having EDGE. When you take Starbucks out of the equation, TMobile's offering shrinks in size. Conversely, Starbucks isn't what it used to be. As Starbucks has been trying to drive up its bottom line, the newer stores seem smaller and less comfortable places to hang out and use your laptop. T-Mobile WiFi has never been "free". This will not hurt TMobile.
Starbucks was never meant to be a comfortable place to hang out. The overwhelming majority of SBUX business is takeout; the loungers are just there for effect. | |
| | | stufried
Premium
join:2003-10-13
·Verizon BroadbandA..
| Re: This Will Hurt Tmobile You are misreading my comment about "free." What I meant to say was that TMobile subscribers (and I should have said TMobile data subscribers) have justified their $19 a month unlimited internet plans (which use the slower EDGE network) as a great deal because it was: (a) cheaper than everyone else; and, (b) because TMobile tossed hotspot access in and if you needed to do something data intensive, "you could always drop by a hotspot." I never meant to imply that TMobile was giving their access away.
With respect to the hanging out nature of Starbucks, Starbucks was modeled off a European Coffee house and that is precisely what you do in a French or Austrian coffee house. You can easily kill half the afternoon over three espressos and an overpriced pastery.
Part of what you were paying for was the right to sit their and sip a coffee talking to friends without having a watress hovering over you and complaining that everyone just ordered a coffee.
I've seen many sales reps sitting in Starbucks, checking e-mails and returning calls. This was more two years ago than today. I think mobile data devices, 3g datacards, etc. may have cut into this. | |
|
HellsBells
@sbcglobal.net
| Now, I'm moving upscale! WOW! As they said on the Jeffersons...I'm movin on up!
I'm one those $10.00 a month DSL customers with a $2.85 per month local line here in southern California.
I've been using the McDonald's and Barnes & Noble locations for over two years. I've tried the UPS Store, but no where to sit.
At McDonald's, I find it's rare and I mean rare that anyone is using their laptop. Sometimes, you'll see someone with the Nintendo thingy. Usually, it just me using my laptop mixed in with the other patrons and happy mealers.
The great thing about McDonald's is the amount of table space you have to work at as compared to Starbucks. I have never been questioned by an employee why I have not purchased anything while taking up a seat. Frankly, most of the employees at McDonald's have no idea what Wi-Fi or Wayport are, and for the most part are clueless about it.
Occasionally, I might buy a bottled water or a parfait yogurt but otherwise do no eat Ronald's food.
I never go to Starbucks simply because they do not have enough table space for my comfort level, and I don't drink coffee or tea (no, I'm not Mormon) so the McDonald's option has been great for me. Over the past two years, I have noticed a marked improvement in the speeds at many of the McDonald's I visit.
Now that I have my own DSL account for $10.00 per month, I just pay the extra $1.99 for the Wi-Fi option as the basic level does not provide free Wi-Fi. When I used my friends Wi-Fi account, they were also paying $1.99 per month until recently when AT&T made Wi-Fi free for the more expensive DSL plans.
This is a big change. I would have never thought that Starbucks would have switched providers. Must have been some big financial incentives for Starbucks in the bid that AT&T returned in the form of revenue sharing that T-Mobile did not care to match or chose not to beat.
Now, will this change AT&T's agreement with Wayport and are the days of AT&T Wi-Fi coming to an end at the house of Ronald and Barnes & Noble? Wait, doesn't B&N sell Starbucks? | |
| | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| Re: Now, I'm moving upscale! Finding power outlets in McDonalds has been much more difficult for me than Starbucks, usually 0-2 for the dining area of McD, while Starbucks has one every 10-15 feet. Also its much more likly you can get a seat with a power outlet near it in Starbucks than McD. Also some McDs have problems with mentally ill homeless (compared to sane homeless for Starbucks), and attract much more wild, destructive, and jailbird customers. Ive been to McD that locks its doors for 1 and 1/2 hours after the line of sight public middle school empties. Manager stands at 1 door, and only unlocks it when an adult/non-middle schooler approaches. At one point the McD called school security to remove the kids, but they just cursed out security, and security couldn't do anything (off school property). Before this policy, every seat would be taken with screaming kids, play fighting, screaming across dining room, pounding on and screaming at glass to unsuccessfully grab their friend who is outside's attention, table taken for 45 mins with nobody buying anything, sometimes they stole stuff from each other playfully or seriously (couldn't tell) and there would be a running pursuit in foot traffic as bad as a jammed up entrance to an escalator knocking everyone off their feet, sometimes food get thrown, ass grabbing, and every last table taken for 1 hour, jumping/standing on tables and jumping over partitions, and the kids would challenge and curse out anyone who dared talk to them. No thanks, I'll stick with Starbucks.
Only thing I didn't see at that McD when the kids were there was drugs, weapons, sexual assault, and a ghettoblaster (thankfully it was the portable CD player age already). My advice would be to allocate a soda machine (drive thru one most likly) and put horse tranquilizers in the syrup lines to that machine and fill the kids' sodas from that machine. | |
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oh4real
@mindspring.com
| Interesting observation on competition! So, McDs and Starbucks are now head to head with SBUX going more into food and McDs offering espresso-machined coffees.
Remember the days when SBUX folks used to grind the beans for each shot and you could smell it? Now all SBUX shops use enclosed machines and push buttons - not much different from McDs. Like restaurants who pump oven exhaust onto street in front of their shops (smart move especially for bakeries), those machines should blow exhaust from internal grinders out to cafe...
With ATT serving both, that is interesting indeed. | |
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ManBearPig1
@comcast.net | Re: Now, I'm moving upscale! Thats for sure. McDonalds has Wayport wi-fi access (cheaper) and better coffee than Starbucks. Then again the folks at McDs are very clueless of "whats a wayport?".  | |
| | 
highhatsize
Norm, The Enourmous Basset
Premium
join:2001-02-08
San Francisco, CA | Everywhere But Starbucks You mean there are still coffee houses where you have to pay for Wi-Fi access? | |
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See 6 replies to this post | |
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cfm117
join:2004-02-13
Woodland Hills, CA
 ·DIRECTV
| Re: Mixed feelings. It will apply to wireless customers. I read the company press release today. The entire project will be done by the end of the year. Heres press release:
February 11, 2008
AT&T Inc. and Starbucks today announced plans to deliver AT&T Wi-Fi service at more than 7,000 company-operated Starbucks locations across the United States. The initiative brings together two of the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient online experience for consumers and business customers.
Starbucks and AT&T will offer a mix of free and paid Wi-Fi offerings at Starbucks stores to meet the needs of both frequent and occasional Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.
The initiative further expands the AT&T Wi-Fi network, already the largest in the United States, to more than 17,000 U.S. hot spots and more than 70,000 globally.
Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verse Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In addition, more than 5 million of AT&T's remote access services business customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.
"People want to stay connected to their world 24/7, and Wi-Fi hot spots, broadband and wireless make that mobility possible," said Rick Welday, AT&T chief marketing officer, Consumer. "Laptops and smartphones give us the online mobility we crave, and now millions of AT&T and Starbucks customers will get Internet access free from the comfort of their neighborhood Starbucks."
"This is what our customers have been waiting for - free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks Coffee Company. "Through our new partnership with AT&T, we also welcome their millions of current customers who can now come in and enjoy free Wi-Fi as part of their daily Starbucks Experience."
"Our new relationship with AT&T gives us the opportunity to expand and enhance the range of digital entertainment experiences for our customers, including the continued rollout of the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks," said Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment.
In addition to the free Wi-Fi access for qualifying AT&T customers and any Starbucks Card holder, customers will be able to purchase tiered access to the AT&T Wi-Fi network at Starbucks at attractive price points. For a two-hour period, customers will pay just $3.99 per session. Monthly membership will also be available for $19.99 per month, and will include access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries around the world.
AT&T business customers who subscribe to remote access services can also enjoy unlimited, flat-rate access plans at any Starbucks location offering Wi-Fi service or at other AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots.
Additionally, AT&T is providing Starbucks an enterprise-class network with increased bandwidth and redundancy. AT&T's underlying network technologies will enable a wide range of business applications and help Starbucks stores operate more efficiently.
"Delivering networking capabilities to help a world-class company such as Starbucks achieve greater business velocity is what we do," said Welday. "Our work with Starbucks is collaborative innovation at its finest."
The availability of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks will take place on a market-by-market basis with store implementation beginning this spring and completed by the end of the year. | |
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Reed Right
@ameritech.net
| Let me see if I have this right... In order to suck up the Wi-Fi at Starbucks, am I still compelled to approach the counter and get some sort of card with a password on it that renews every two hours (kicking me off unless I buy more coffee to get another card)?
Or: as an existing AT&T victim customer, do I only need to roll up with my laptop, type in my the username/password I use with my existing AT&T service, and Bob is my uncle?
Finally, does Starbucks make it a point to limit the Wi-Fi transmissions so that you'll only be able to use it, say, within the Starbucks to 10 feet outside the front door?
I ask this because I would like to use it from a location across the street, and would just as soon avoid any interaction with the Starbucks folks (if it can be avoided).
I know that some people are really into Starbucks, but the whole "faux European coffeehouse"-thing just drives me up the wall (no offense). | |
| | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY | Re: Let me see if I have this right... Directional antenna buddy. | |
| 
imcdona
Premium
join:2002-12-16
Tacoma, WA
| T-Mobile UMA (HotSpot@home) What is going to happen to my BlackBerry Curve 8320 and all the other UMA phones that have the T-Mobile Hotspots programmed into them? The ability to make free phone calls while at Starbucks was a nice feature of the UMA phones.
I can no longer grab a coffee and make a free phone call! | |
| stridr69
join:2003-05-19
San Luis Obispo, CA
1 edit | Best of three worlds... 1)Starbucks...nice place to hang out here in the Federation Outpost of San Luis Obispo, CA-your location on Marsh st. in downtown S.L.O. is my MAIN hangout. Not to mention Barns & Noble across the way has ATT's WiFi service. Since I'm a ATT DSL customer with their "Elite" service, I'm golden.
2)I have T-Mobile's HotSpot service-that WON'T change at Starbucks, as T-Mobile has an agreement with ATT to provide their service.
3) Sprint....Have THEIR kick-ass EvDO 3G offerings...'nough said.
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| | grumpy3b
join:2001-12-11
Lompoc, CA
·DSL EXTREME
·Millenicom
1 edit | Re: Best of three worlds... SB in Downtown SLO rocks!! And yup the B&N across the plaza is cool and then the movie theater is right there too...it's a really nice location.
BTW, I am one of those with the EVDO over the Sprint Network via my ISP Millenicom...
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Using Millenicom? Come visit the Unofficial Millenicom forum here on BBR »Millenicom | |
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Seriously?
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