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News and information for free public access Wi-Fi location owners and users

We call a hotspot that offers free Wi-Fi internet access a Wi-Fi-FreeSpot.

Click here for the Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory.

 

 

Want to learn how to build a FreeSpot? Go to WiFiFreenet.

 
Starbucks Free Wi-Fi, - not really

Attention! - Another "clarification" - the latest being that it is two "continuous" hours, not two hours total per day, so if you sign off after 15 minutes, that's it, unless you have multiple accounts and go to different locations.

Starbucks has received tons of Free publicity over their "Free Wi-Fi" announcement. Too bad it's not as simple as it sounds. You have to "pay" a nominal amount for "limited" "Free" access, but of course if that's too frustrating, you can always choose to "pay" more for "unlimited" access.

Why didn't they just go all the way - Free Wi-Fi, For Everyone, All the Time. I think that's what their managers wanted all along.

A lot has been said about Starbucks getting more customer friendly and on the surface it sounds like they want Wi-Fi users to think they are, but in reality I don't think that's the case.
posted by Jim at 10:41 AM

 
Further update on Starbucks Free Wi-Fi

Again, from Glenn Fleishman at Wi-Fi Networking News

"Once you have the card, free Wi-Fi service is activated by a single purchase of any amount on the card each month."
posted by Jim at 5:20 PM

 
Starbucks Free Wi-Fi update.

From Glenn Fleishman of Wi-Fi Networking News

"No purchase is needed: you just need an active card, I confirmed with the company. Walk in, buy a $5 value card, activate it, and you’re on for two hours a day from then forward."
posted by Jim at 4:40 PM

 
Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks - sort of - but definitely better than what it was.

Starbucks announced it is ending it's association with T-mobile and going with AT&T. The biggest change - Starbucks said Monday it will give customers that use its Starbucks purchase card two hours of free wireless access per day. After that, it's $3.99 for two hour increments. There are $19.99 monthly plans available too and those plans include access to AT&T's 70,000 hotspot network.

Sounds like you have to make a purchase using the card to get the Free Wi-Fi.

Stories I read were unclear about access for Starbucks customers who don't use a purchase card.

Rollout starts this Spring in the 7000 company owned stores and should be completed by year's end.

AT&T also is giving Starbucks' more than 100,000 U.S. employees free wireless accounts.
posted by Jim at 10:29 AM

 
Recently I added the JD Wetherspoon pubs across the UK as locations for Free Wi-Fi to the Wi-Fi-Freespot Directory. They have over 600 locations that offer 30 minutes of "Free" access with a drink or food order. When you order ask for a voucher and you'll get the access code. Subsequent 30 minute blocks of free access can be had with more drink or food orders.

Some might argue that this is not true Free Wi-Fi. The actual access time is Free but you have to pay to get it. In most locations, other than Libraries, a purchase might be made voluntarily, either because you were intending to make a purchase anyway or that you felt it would be nice to make a purchase as a means of saying thank you for the Free Wi-Fi.

Requiring a purchase before being granted access is another kettle of fish, as they say. The Wetherspoon pubs are not the only locations doing things this way, but luckily they are in the minority. I guess it is a way to pay for the amenity of Free Wi-Fi but I question whether it is the best way. Granted, the pubs are in business to sell drinks and food and I guess they feel they are either using Free Wi-Fi as a lure for more business or as a reward for purchases, but there are other ways to pay for infrastructure costs. Jiwire and others offer ad supported platforms that should be considered for those looking to pay for their network expenditures, rather than requiring a direct payment from customers.

Anyway, I'll keep the Wetherspoon listing in the Directory. It may end up being the only Free Wi-Fi available in some areas, and that's better than none.
posted by Jim at 5:33 AM

 
I recently received an e-mail alerting me to a clarification in Panera Bread's "unlimited" access. It seems that some Free Wi-Fi single users in some locations have tied up a table for four for long periods of time. Hence, Panera Bread has decided to limit access to 30 minutes at the "peak" times around 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. I'm not sure if this an across the board corporate policy or if it is left up to the discretion of individual franchise owners.
posted by Jim at 2:16 PM

 
Mac or PC, Paid or Free Wi-Fi?

There's a post on tuaw.com that asks "Do more Mac users hang out at coffee houses?". The poster says it's about 50/50 where he hangs out. Most of the comments say it's even higher where they hang out. Interestingly though, about 90% of them seem to hang out at Free Wi-Fi locations.

Read the post here.
posted by Jim at 2:33 PM

 
The Summer of Free Wi-Fi

Probably not as culturally significant as 1967's Summer of Love, but if you're headed to San Francisco this Summer, or just about any place in the USA for that matter, you're sure to find lots of locations with Free Wi-Fi along the way.

In the last year over 4000 new locations have been added to the Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory at http://www.wififreespot.com and new addition requests continue to come in daily.

So, it's not too big a stretch to say that Free Wi-Fi is just about everywhere in the USA these days. Big cities, small towns and places in between, cafes, coffee shops, libraries, RV Parks and campgrounds, highway rest areas, town squares, city parks, hotels and motels, laundromats, car repair centers, fast food and other restaurants, ice cream parlors and many more.

If you're headed to Europe or other parts of the World this Summer you'll find more Free Wi-Fi locations as well, especially in the big cities.

What are you waiting for? Pack up the laptop and hit the road.
posted by Jim at 3:38 PM