When did Starbucks begin offering free Wi-Fi to customers?

Food - Drink When did Starbucks begin offering free Wi-Fi to customers? By Jen Peng

According to CNet, Starbucks founder Howard Shultz always wanted the coffee chain to become a "third place" (after home and the workplace), where people can socialize and work. The availability of free Wi-Fi at each one of the 9,265 company-operated stores and 6,608 licensed Starbucks stores in the US in 2022 has certainly helped Shultz's vision. { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-top-0-0.65\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(-100 * 1vh - height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "0.65s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-0-0.65\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "0.65s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } Read Full Story

In 2002, Starbucks started providing hotspot services, through T-Mobile, as a free initial trial at around 1,200 US stores, with subsequent charges on a prepaid, pay-as-you-go, and monthly basis. The coffee chain then switched its network to AT&T at its 7,000 US stores in 2008 and started offering two free hours of Wi-Fi access per day to Starbucks Card holders. { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-top-0-0.65\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(-100 * 1vh - height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "0.65s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-0-0.65\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "0.65s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } Read Full Story

However, in 2010 Starbucks provided free and unlimited Wi-Fi to all customers at all of its stores. Later, in 2013, the coffee chain switched to Google as its Wi-Fi partner, which resulted in download speeds that were 18x faster, and upload speeds that were 6x faster than previously available under AT&T, making the coffee chain a hit among its customers. { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-top-0-0.65\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(-100 * 1vh - height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "0.65s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-0-0.65\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "0.65s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } Read Full Story

Read More 11 Drinks That Are Red Flags For Starbucks Baristas The Best Coffee Shops Across The US For Your Morning Cup Of Joe The 34 Most Popular Starbucks Drinks, Ranked Worst To Best { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-1.5-1\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "1.5s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "1.5s", "duration": "1s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-1-1\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "1s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "1s", "duration": "1s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-0.5-1\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0.5s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0.5s", "duration": "1s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] } { "selector": "[data-custom-animation-id=\"fly-in-bottom-0-1\"]", "--x": "0", "--y": "calc(100 * 1vh + height())", "animations": [ { "duration": "0s", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"} ] }, { "delay": "0s", "duration": "1s", "easing": "cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translate(var(--x), var(--y))"}, {"transform": "translate(0, 0)"} ] } ] }