Starbucks Brews Up Free One-Click Wi-Fi
Starbucks customers will no longer have to gulp down their venti mocha cappuccino to avoid timing out of their Web surfing session, at least in company-operated stores in the U.S. and Canada. The retailer now offers unlimited Internet access for Wi-Fi enabled devices including laptops, tables and mobile phones, accessible via one click with no user name or password requirement. Most recently, the free Wi-Fi was limited to two hours per day and only available to members of the My Starbucks Rewards program.
"Our customers were asking for a simplified Wi-Fi offering, and free Wi-Fi has been a top request on MyStarbucksIdea.com," said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks. "We're excited to turn this feedback into action and believe our customers will be delighted with the enhanced experience they'll find in Starbucks stores."
Later this fall, Starbucks plans to introduce the Starbucks Digital Network in partnership with Yahoo! This online service will offer customers in U.S. company-operated stores free, unrestricted access to a group of paid sites and services, as well as exclusive content and previews, free downloads and local community news.
Starbucks will continue to work with AT&T in the U.S. as its Wi-Fi provider, a relationship that has been in place since 2008. Nearly 6,800 Starbucks locations are part of AT&T's U.S. Wi-Fi network, the nation's largest. In Canada, more than 750 company-operated stores offer free Wi-Fi through Bell, which has worked with Starbucks since 2005.
"Our customers were asking for a simplified Wi-Fi offering, and free Wi-Fi has been a top request on MyStarbucksIdea.com," said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks. "We're excited to turn this feedback into action and believe our customers will be delighted with the enhanced experience they'll find in Starbucks stores."
Later this fall, Starbucks plans to introduce the Starbucks Digital Network in partnership with Yahoo! This online service will offer customers in U.S. company-operated stores free, unrestricted access to a group of paid sites and services, as well as exclusive content and previews, free downloads and local community news.
Starbucks will continue to work with AT&T in the U.S. as its Wi-Fi provider, a relationship that has been in place since 2008. Nearly 6,800 Starbucks locations are part of AT&T's U.S. Wi-Fi network, the nation's largest. In Canada, more than 750 company-operated stores offer free Wi-Fi through Bell, which has worked with Starbucks since 2005.