| Barnes & Noble, McDonald's, and Starbucks are | | | | all company-operated U.S. locations beginning July |
| three of the biggest franchises in the world. One | | | | 1, 2010, part of an continous effort to bring more |
| is a bookseller, one is a fast food restaurant, and | | | | customers to Starbucks. |
| one is a cafe. But they all have one thing in | | | | The wireless access includes a new network of |
| common. They all offer free Wi-Fi and you can | | | | news and entertainment content exclusively for |
| surf the web for countless hours. | | | | Starbucks customers. It came as Starbucks |
| Barnes & Noble has approximately 800 stores in | | | | worked to take business back from rivals like |
| America. The bookseller began offering free WiFi | | | | McDonald's and even Panera Bread that has long |
| on the final week of July 2009 when they told | | | | offered free Internet access to their customers. |
| the press that over 700,000 e-book titles were | | | | Starbucks and McDonald's competed in recent |
| available. Barnes & Noble has been using AT&T | | | | years as McDonald's revamped its new coffee |
| Wi-Fi services since 2005, but charged a tiny fee | | | | and came out with a great selling McCafe line |
| until this point. Only AT&T wired broadband | | | | offering everything from drip coffee and lattes to |
| customers and some AT&T wireless customers | | | | cappuccinos to cold coffee drinks. |
| had free wireless access at the bookstores. | | | | Starbucks customers will also get free Wi-Fi |
| McDonald's started offering free Wi-Fi in the first | | | | access to some online content through its Wi-Fi |
| month of 2010 at all of its U.S. fast food | | | | starting this Fall. Named the Starbucks Digital |
| restaurants. | | | | Network, the program is a partnership with Yahoo |
| "We're not just about hamburgers," said Dave | | | | that will allow Starbucks Web surfers free access |
| Grooms, chief information officer for McDonald's, | | | | to paid sites like the Wall Street Journal, along |
| according to the AP. "We are about convenience | | | | with exclusive content and free music from other |
| and all kinds of value." | | | | organizations such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes, The New |
| "We want people to have a comfortable place to | | | | York Times, Patch, USA Today and Zagat. |
| sit and check their e-mail and get on line," Dave | | | | By having a free WiFi hotspot at each of these |
| Grooms said. "We've become a destination for | | | | locations, customers hang out and stay longer and |
| our beverages and our coffees, and Wi- Fi | | | | then it increases the likelihood that they would |
| naturally fits with that." | | | | buy something. Barnes & Noble sells more books |
| McDonald's previously offered internet access | | | | and e-books. McDonald's sells more McNuggets, |
| through AT&T at 11,000 of its 14,000 U.S. | | | | french fries, and soda. Starbucks sells more |
| locations for a $2.95 fee for two hours of web | | | | coffee and cake. Panera Bread sells more soup |
| surfing but is now be 100% free of charge. | | | | and sandwiches. The number of Wi-Fi locations |
| About six months later, Starbucks started | | | | are increasing for these reasons and sooner or |
| offering unlimited free wireless Internet access at | | | | later they will be in every place you can imagine. |