Will Starbucks offer free wi-fi?

FREE WI-FI AT STARBUCKS?

The blog mill heated up last week following Computerworld's predication that Starbucks would begin offering free Wi-Fi in order to compete with McDonald's, which is peeling away some customers with less- expensive coffee.

Brandon Borrman, a Starbucks spokesman, didn't exactly shoot down the idea when he told the Seattle P-I that the company doesn't comment on rumors or speculation. The company gave a similar response regarding a prediction from an analyst earlier this year that Starbucks would raise its prices, which the company did shortly after saying it wouldn't comment on rumors or speculation.

As Computerworld notes, the international coffee retailer was a pioneer in rolling out wireless Internet access for customers with its T-Mobile connections, which can be used for a connection fee. But the practice, which began in 2002, appears a bit outdated as independent coffee shops and Tully's, a small Seattle-based chain, offer free Wi-Fi as a way to differentiate themselves from Starbucks.

McDonald's said earlier this month that it would offer free wireless Internet access across its 1,200-strong restaurants in Britain, making it the country's biggest provider of free wireless broadband access.

Source: Seattlepi.com