“McDonald’s Corp. said at the weekend that it would offer high-speed wireless Internet services to customers for free in 1,200 of its U.K. fast food outlets,” Daniel Thomas reports for MarketWatch.
“The move, aimed at attracting consumers away from rival food chains and coffee shops – such as those of Starbucks Corp. and Coffee Republic PLC – could save regular public wireless Internet users GBP260 a year, based on them paying to use other so-called WiFi services for an hour a week, McDonald’s said,” Thomas reports.
“McDonald’s, which claims to own about 10% of the U.K’s WiFi hotspots, will work with wireless company Cloud Networks Ltd. to roll out the free service across its retail estate by the end of the year,” Thomas reports.
“Cloud recently struck a deal with mobile phone operator O2, a subsidiary of Telefonica SA, and Apple Inc. to provide WiFi connectivity for owners of Apple’s iPhone in the U.K., when the device goes on sale in the country next month,” Thomas reports.
Full article here.
Boom!
I think it’s BAM!
Now if they do that in the US, that would be even better.
The beginning of the welcomed end to pay-for WiFi. The other lemmings will cave, and WiFi will at last be FREE!
‘I’ll have a burger and, and, and, a coke, and, and .. a WIFRY!
Most McDonalds do have free WiFi in the U.S.
Think I’ll give the free wi-fi and shite food a miss thanks.
All of the McDo’s in France have free public WiFi. But, sadly, we have no reason to take advantage of it since we have no iPhones…
McDonalds should do this in the US.
“Think I’ll give the free wi-fi and shite food a miss thanks.”
Just get water and wifi for free.
No it the UK it’s WHAM!
Again, McDonalds already has WiFi in most of its US restaurants.
McDonalds WIFi HotSpot finder —
http://www.mcdonalds.com/wireless/find_hotspot.html
US McDonald’s WIFI is not free
From their website:
What does it cost and how do I pay?
It depends on how you connect. Currently, the recommended pricing for a one-time connection is $2.95 for 2 hours of service.
why won’t att offer iPhone users free wi-fi in their att wi-fi network…sounds to me like Apple dropped the ball in not negotiating this with att and figured they would not make the same mistake in Europe
http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=5949#subscription
Yeh I was thinkin the same thing, just get a bottle of water and make it last. You could even sneak in a sandwich or two…
…How safe are these ‘free’ networks? What kind of encryption do they use? Anyone know?
email, web surfing and POISON…
Do the world and yourself a favor,
don’t eat that crap.
who cares about the UK?
We have to stop wasting our time on the rest of the world, and worry more about amurika.
People still eat this shit?
I don’t think Americans need another reason to go to McDonald’s. Leave it in the UK.
Let’s not forget about the iPod touch.
“MacDonald’s is evil” (c)
Please everyone save your life, do not eat those 5000 kcals “diet”.
Only “small” 0,33L Coca-Cola contains 18 tea-spoons of sugar and they make it with ice so stomach would push food further without processing so you would not feel full and order more food and drinks so you would reach such new records like 8000 kcal per day — as some poor Americans eating in MacDonald’s.
You can feed elephant with that or kill human. The last thing is licensed to MacDonald’s and the likes.
Why not the US? I won’t sit there and eat that crap, but I can certainly sit outside and just use it.
My U.S. WiFi feels “snappier” now! Thanks UK Mickey-D’s!!
I eat at McD’s all the time, and I still weigh the same as when I played lacrosse in college.
Surely just about any iPhone customer has too much taste to frequent that particular vendor of comestibles of Zune-like quality.
McD clutching at straws? Better than clutching at McD’s coffee cups.