Starbucks Debuts Wi-Fi Broadband Service
By Karen Brown published
Starting this week, coffee hounds can get a shot of high-speed Internet along
with their cappuccinos at Starbucks Corp. outlets in Southern California.
In a joint venture with Deutsche Telekom AG subsidiary T-Mobile
International, the coffee chain is offering customers a Wi-Fi (wireless
local-area network) broadband wireless Internet link.
Dubbed 'T-Mobile HotSpot,' the service allows customers to check electronic
mail, surf the Web and watch streaming media via laptop computers or Pocket PCs
equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11 Ethernet cards. Customers must sign up for T-Mobile
HotSpot service to access the network.
'Mobile professionals across the globe have been waiting for just such an
offering: high-speed wireless Internet access in a familiar and widely available
location that keeps them connected while on the road or between the home and
office,' said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman and chief global strategist, in
a release.
'It's the right service offered in the right environment,' he
added.
The smarter way to stay on top of the multichannel video marketplace. Sign up below.
Thank you for signing up to Multichannel News. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.