McDonald's to offer free wireless

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on December 18th, 2009

It’s in the WSJ:

Starting in mid-January, McDonald’s will lift a $2.95 fee that it had charged customers for two hours of wireless Internet access, available at about 11,000 of its 14,000 domestic locations, McDonald’s USA Chief Information Officer David Grooms said in an interview.

We’ve moaned in the past about how cheesy it is for hotels and coffee shops to charge anything more than a nominal fee for wireless. Some hotels charge as much as $11 per day!

Earlier this year, the super-sized McDonald’s in Vegas (the one across from the Riv) was charging, then, in the spring, they were handing out a coupon with each purchase that entitled the bearer to a free hour. No doubt this was a pilot program to see just how much sales that the freeloaders would generate. Well,the verdict is in: Offering folks free wireless will turn your burger joint into a “destination!”

Just a heads up for our comedian friends. If you’re heading out on the road, hit this website to find out where the McD’s wireless hotspots are!

from → News • View 1 Comment • Print-Friendly • Back To Top