AT&T orders up Starbucks Wi-Fi

The one upside to Starbucks’s ubiquity, in my opinion, is that it means you can almost always find reliable Wi-Fi access, even if you have to shell out a few bucks for it. Up until now, the service had been provided by a deal that the coffee empire had struck with cell phone provider T-Mobile, but this morning the curtain has been pulled back to reveal that T-Mobile’s been kicked to the curb and replaced by AT&T, effective this spring.

As if that’s not enough, those who use the chain’s Starbucks Card, will get two free hours of Wi-Fi access, while qualifying AT&T broadband and U-verse Internet customers will get free access as well. Otherwise you’ll need to pay out $3.99 per two-hour session, or sign up for a $19.99 monthly plan.

But, soft! What of those millions of AT&T Wireless iPhone users like, er, me? Well, the press release does contain one tantalizing tidbit:

AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.

What does it mean? We have no idea! When will it happen? Soon! At best, we’re hoping that it means that AT&T is finally going the same route as O2 in the UK. At worst, well, you won’t be any worse off than you are now, I guess.

Category: Wi-Fi

Posted by Dan Moren on Feb 11 2008, 3:18 PM ET

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