Starbucks Announces Free Wifi Starting July 1

Today at Wired's Business Conference in New York City, Starbucks' Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schultz announced that starting July 1st, Starbucks will offer free WiFi to customers nationwide.

According to WIRED's Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson, "Starbucks is the biggest Wi-Fi network in the country."

Schultz followed this announcement with a second revelation, that in Fall 2010, Starbucks will launch its Digital Network in Partnership with Yahoo offering customers free access to news sites like the Wall Street Journal.

Schultz hopes these announcements will cement Starbucks as "the third place between home and work."

It certainly seems Starbucks is now more than ever, the new halfway house for budding entrepreneurs.

 

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Comments

[MarkDamian]

07:17 PM on 07/23/2010

What isn't mentioned in any of Starbucks' PR materials is that the in-store networks are now even more vulnerable to WiFi sniffing and potential malicious attacks. When you don't even need a room key to get into the hotel pool anymore, you can imagine all the riff raff that will have access to the Starbucks hot spots. At least with the old "register your Starbucks card", there was a slight degree of accountability and control over other users on the network. A personal VPN service is the way you can proactively protect your information on any public network (not to keep digging at Starbucks here), and Security Blanket is a perfect example of just such a solution. Shameless plug, I know, but take a look at our site to learn more. We are currently offering a free Beta trial period to users leading up to our full launch this fall. Follow the link to see how you can sign up for the Beta today: www.getsecurityblanket.com/learnmore

[audadvnc]

10:30 AM on 06/15/2010

The audiovisual services company I work with sells WiFi service to hotels. This is a terrible business model! Um, the free WiFi at Starbucks, I mean...

[NHBill]

10:38 AM on 06/15/2010

are you to blame for the lousy over-priced wifi at hotels?

[audadvnc]

10:43 AM on 06/15/2010

You got it! $150 a day or no email for you! At least we're not the phone company, that charges you by the text message.

[AudiGuy]

11:25 PM on 06/14/2010

Too little, too late. Most people know you can just go to a Barnes & Noble cafe for the same coffee and free WiFi. And if you have a B&N card the coffee is 10% cheaper.

[audadvnc]

10:40 AM on 06/15/2010

Every other coffee shop in town has had free WiFi for 5 years. Glad to see Starbucks is yet again on the cutting edge...

[Adam Bomb]

10:58 PM on 06/14/2010

I am SO glad I hate this place.

[coolaid8]

08:53 PM on 06/14/2010

I didn't have my glasses, I thought the headline said Starbucks was going to offer free Wives. My first thought that if the free wives were as bitter as the coffee, no thanks.

[audadvnc]

10:39 AM on 06/15/2010

Ah like my wimmen like I like mah coffee... hot, smoky, and expensive. Or is it thin, bitter and cold? Can't remember...

-strong and a little nutty?
-ground up and in the freezer?
-bound in cardboard and easily discarded?
-from Columbia, stuffed with cocaine and shipped to America?
-covered in foam, full of whiskey and awaiting my swizzle stick?
-at the same time!

[NHBill]

08:51 PM on 06/14/2010

All the free wifi you want, plus you do not have to buy any coffee and if you forgot your laptop they'll hook you up! It's called the Free Public Library! They have clean bathrooms too! and there's one in every town.

[Toonguy]

09:55 AM on 06/15/2010

Unfortunately it's only open half a day each week except for alternating Thursdays. Sigh.

[NHBill]

10:36 AM on 06/15/2010

Sorry to hear that.
Libraries are kinda sacred in New England.
I just cut and pasted this from my towns library page:
Monday 10 AM – 8 PM
Tuesday 10 AM – 8 PM
Wednesday 10 AM – 8 PM
Thursday 10 AM – 8 PM
Friday 10 AM – 8 PM
Saturday 10 AM – 3 PM
Sunday CLOSED

[Y3rMawm]

07:42 PM on 06/14/2010

they are going to need bigger stores.

[Anthony OReilly]

06:50 PM on 06/14/2010

This is: AWESOME!

[themasterspeaks]

05:15 PM on 06/14/2010

TALK ABOUT BEING LATE TO THE PARTY

[QedRealEstateConsulting]

05:02 PM on 06/14/2010

In the ever changing definition of home and work the third place may not be the correct term. The new generation of home may be where they are connected. It seems that what bugs the older generation is the key to understanding our changing world.
The older generation is familiar with a place called home where you act and do certain things. Work is another place. The third place was like Cheers. But just as this old sitcom has gone so has the idea of a third place.
This connected generation acts at home in Starbucks and away. Starbucks is ahead of the curve in realizing that connections are where their customers are at. It is giving the people what they want, and when you can do that for free, you build community.