McDonald's to Offer Free Wi-Fi Starting in January, 2010
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that McDonald's will begin offering free Wi-Fi in mid-January 2010. Currently they charge a $2.95 fee for two hours of wireless Internet access.
The free access comes under a partnership with AT&T Inc., which provides McDonald's stores with wireless Internet. Mr. Grooms wouldn't discuss financial details of the arrangement, nor would he say how much McDonald's earned from such charges.
McDonald's hopes the free Internet could encourage customers to hang around during down times between meals, providing a captive audience that may buy some of the chain's McCafe line of coffee drinks. The chain also plans to begin selling items like frappes and smoothies by mid-2010 that aim to appeal to customers during the snacking hours that could get a lift from greater traffic.
Wi-Fi is currently available at between about 11,000 of McDonald's 14,000 domestic locations so this will open up a lot of free Wi-Fi spots. McDonald's will very likely get a boost in traffic as a result.
