Starbucks to Offer Free WiFi With Your Coffee Starting July 1

Starting next month Starbucks will join the likes of Panera and McDonald’s as a chain that offers free WiFi in all locations. Those who have AT&T may be confused, thinking they already had free WiFi in Starbucks, which those customers did, now it’s been extended to everyone else.

Now anyone can enjoy free, unlimited WiFi at Starbucks with just one click rather than having to pay or enter AT&T or Starbucks Card information to get just two hours of free time. Sounds like a good deal, and can possibly get Starbucks more money if people stay longer and buy more. {Mashable}

Starbucks isn’t stopping at the free wireless, though. Those who use the WiFi at Starbucks soon will be able to enjoy a full Starbucks-branded online experience. That means a Starbucks splash page when you first connect that leads to aggregated news from different sections. It could also link to the Starbucks iTunes “Pick of The Week,” so you can get the song for free without having to use the code on the cards at the register.

The biggest news, though, is that with that Starbucks experience, you’ll be able to get around pay-walls at places like the Wall Street Journal. Starbucks is aiming to bring those services to uses of WiFi at stores. Of course, buying Starbucks everyday to get WSJ for free just might end up being more expensive than getting a subscription to the newspaper.