AT&T Now Providing Wifi Access at Starbucks

[yoshi1277]

How it all works...

Ordinarily I just read stuff here on the forums, but I registered today because I feel like there shouldn't be so much confusion about all this. It seems pretty simple to me. For an example:

I get a cup of coffee a day for $1.75 (including tax)
Figure there is probably a few days a month I don't get coffee, so lets say it's 28 days a month. 28 cups X 1.75 a cup = $49.00
So, once a month I load $50 on a card at one of their many, many stores.
I register the card on line because, if I were to ever lose the thing, they would replace it for free.
Now, since I registered my card, I am entitled to 2 hours of free internet service a day. Which is a lot better than the $6/hr, $10/day, $40/month T-Mobile was charging for their service.
At the end of the month, I reload $50 on the same card I have registered so I don't have to worry about registering a new card.

Alternatively, you could always have sbux load $50 automatically each month via credit card (preferably something that gives you miles or points or whatever).

As for everyone who is complaining about getting the card, weren't you going to spend the money at Starbucks anyway?

I think that's it...

Anyway, back to reading.

 

[Aries326]

The Barnes & Noble I go to has a Delta Sonic across the street. Delta Sonic has free wifi. I study at the Starbucks cafe inside BN and I just grab the signal from Delta Sonic.

 

[Tara Davis]

Pffft

Screw Starbucks.

Here in Minnesota, Dunn Brothers Coffee, Panera, and dozens of little "mom&pop "coffee shops offer unrestricted free Wi-Fi access.

Also, the coffee at Starbucks is lousy and overpriced.

 

[McGiord]

The Barnes & Noble I go to has a Delta Sonic across the street. Delta Sonic has free wifi. I study at the Starbucks cafe inside BN and I just grab the signal from Delta Sonic.

Be careful with that, google around and you will find a news about a guy who use to park in the parking lot outside a store that has the free wi-fi service to their customers, the store press some charges against him and he was arrested, this was in the US but I don't remember the city/state.

He used to do that frequently on a daily basis.
________
N360

 

[Foxglove9]

Be careful with that, google around and you will find a news about a guy who use to park in the parking lot outside a store that has the free wi-fi service to their customers, the store press some charges against him and he was arrested, this was in the US but I don't remember the city/state.

He used to do that frequently on a daily basis.

How could they catch someone doing that, I don't understand? Hmmm.. Will have to check that out.

My biggest problem seems like everyone around here is smart and all the open Wifi networks I find are locked and passworded. Unless I'm the stupid one because I don't know how to crack the code.

 

[dtotheg]

I worry about free wifi for the future. CALEA is hinting at enforcing their restrictions on end-user trace-ability for all public hotspots. This will impose greater burdens on the provider and make it less likely to stay completely free. (it may also push those hotspots into using routable addresses instead of rfc1918, which may quickly gobble up the rest of the IPV4 space)

 

[Mr Maui]

All Starbucks closed 3 hours on 2-26-08

Coincidence? You decide for yourself. An article on aol.com yesterday stated that ALL Starbucks locations will c'ose for three hours on 2-26-08 for "training". Article stated it was for coffeemaking training, but I would think that could be done on an individual store basis versus closing 700+ stores simultaneously. AND ... It's being done on the same day as an Apple special event. Perhaps just a coincidence. Perhaps not. I will try to post link to article later.

 

[petersont]

It is about time though Starbucks dropped Tmobile for something more worthwhile like AT&T especially with the whole ordering from iPhone plans and Starbucks iTunes store

why do suppose AT&T is more worthwhile than T Mobile? They are widely regarded as the achilles heel of an otherwise superior iphone experience...

 

[numediaman]

Good news. I never found anything wrong with T-Mobile except that it is expensive. As a result, I now go into Panera Bread or some other place that offers good coffee, food and free wi-fi. In the end, the marketing folk at Starbucks had to realize that they were losing customers to places that offered free wi-fi. This arrangement seems smart since it is essentially free to card holders -- and getting people to use the cards guarantees repeat business.

On another note, I was in London recently and stopped into a Starbucks and couldn't believe how bad the coffee was -- like someone's idea of watered down U.S. coffee. I was forced to go to a French patisserie -- great press coffee and fantastic baked goods. If I lived in the UK I'd never go into a Starbucks but I see they are growing there with good locations such as in train stations, etc.

 

[JoshLV]

Noob question here: Is the Wifi free? If I go into a Starbucks or Seattles Best, can I hop on the net without signing up to anything?

 

[callmemike20]

Noob question here: Is the Wifi free? If I go into a Starbucks or Seattles Best, can I hop on the net without signing up to anything?

I believe you must be an ATT Internet member or have a starbucks card. So, since I have ATT, will it ask me for my username and password when i try to connect?

 

[bluechipBMW]

Ok..sorry for the dumb question.

So how does it work if you are a holder of the starbucks card (the VISA). Do you have to purchase something to get the 2 free hours? Or can you just be a holder of the card...and then would Starbucks prompt you to login?

 

[TouchPodium.com]

The next step is to implement Starbucks QuickOrder seen here

Then, I'll be happy.

 

[lewisozz]

Shame it doesn't work the same way as in the UK: there, all iPhone users get free wi-fi access in over 7500 locations via a deal with their carrier, O2. I see from the press release that that looks like a possible long-term plan for AT&T's iPhone users, but when?

How come they don't do the starbucks WIFI or even buy music in starbucks in the UK. The Cloud how gives us 7000 WIFI hotspots are in Little chef and public toilets !!!!! Who the hell would want to surf the internet in the toilet !!!!! I WISH I LIVED IN THE USA !!!!

 

[princemarko]

Yeah, totally. T-mobile's prices are not competitive. They charge $6.00 for an hour, whereas at an AT&T hotspot I paid $4.50 for two hours.

EDIT: Looks like now it's $3.99 for two hours. Even better.

T-Mobile lets you on their wifi FREE if you have a data plan, AT&T doesn't. If you are an iphone user, you are crap out of luck for free wifi at starbucks. I'll stick with my free T-Mobile wifi over AT&T's subscription.

 

[superfula]

T-Mobile lets you on their wifi FREE if you have a data plan, AT&T doesn't. If you are an iphone user, you are crap out of luck for free wifi at starbucks. I'll stick with my free T-Mobile wifi over AT&T's subscription.

One, T-Mobile has horrid coverage here and in many places, so that isn't a plus for many people.

I get free internet for two hours of every day just by having a Starbucks card. It doesn't matter if I'm on an iPhone, Mac, or Windows. I'd rather do that and have a decent mobile carrier than deal with t-mobiles terrible coverage.

 

[bluechipBMW]

One, T-Mobile has horrid coverage here and in many places, so that isn't a plus for many people.

I get free internet for two hours of every day just by having a Starbucks card. It doesn't matter if I'm on an iPhone, Mac, or Windows. I'd rather do that and have a decent mobile carrier than deal with t-mobiles terrible coverage.

Ok..I have a dumb question. How do you access your free wifi by having a starbucks card? Everytime I go into a starbucks the only wifi it has is the tmobile hot spot which asks for an user id and password.

Is their any limiation with the starbucks card? for example do you have to purchase something in order to get the 2 free hours?

 

[dtotheg]

T-Mobile lets you on their wifi FREE if you have a data plan, AT&T doesn't. If you are an iphone user, you are crap out of luck for free wifi at starbucks. I'll stick with my free T-Mobile wifi over AT&T's subscription.

iPhone users automatically get free wifi

 

[dtotheg]

Ok..I have a dumb question. How do you access your free wifi by having a starbucks card? Everytime I go into a starbucks the only wifi it has is the tmobile hot spot which asks for an user id and password.

Is their any limiation with the starbucks card? for example do you have to purchase something in order to get the 2 free hours?

None of this has rolled out yet. Deployment starts soon.