TELECOMS & MOBILE
Free Wi-Fi: do you want fries with that?
08-10-2007
by Emmet Ryan
The food in McDonald's may be fast but the firm will likely soon see its UK customers linger a little longer, thanks to free Wi-Fi access.
The short-range broadband service will be made available in 1,200 outlets by the end of the year, and McDonald's claims this will make it the largest free provider of Wi-Fi in the UK. The move is the latest step in McDonald's bid to move towards a higher-end market. While the Eurosaver menu may be one of its key attractions in Ireland, the firm has diversified in recent years with cafes to try and lure business away from the likes of Starbucks. Aside from the cafe, the main menu also looks different these days, with healthier options available as an alternative to the Big Mac.
Last year the fast food chain commenced refurbishing 200 of its UK outlets with a more muted green-and-yellow colour scheme, instead of the traditional red and yellow. The interiors were also upgraded with designer furnishings.
This latest move is an effort to attract more businesspeople to the golden arches. McDonald's estimates that a regular Wi-Fi hotspot user who pays to log on for an hour per week will save as much as STG260 per year on premium Wi-Fi charges. McDonald's already has a relationship with BT Openzone and retains the carrier as a telecommunications partner, but has also signed up The Cloud as a hotspot access provider.
Worldwide, McDonald's already offers Wi-Fi at about 15,000 outlets, including more than 8,000 in the United States, though this access isn't always free. McDonald's already provides free Wi-Fi in Ireland. Whereas the UK service will cover all restaurants in chain, the availability of the service varies across Ireland. While the majority of the fast food chain's outlets in Dublin provide free Wi-Fi, there is no access at two of its three restaurants in Limerick. Only one of the firm's three restaurants in Westmeath provides the service while there is is no free access at its sole outlet in Carlow, for example.
The lack of availability in some restaurants could in part be put down to practical reasons considering the limited broadband access in some parts of Ireland, so the sooner broadband is rolled out to these regions, the sooner their residents can have fries with their Wi-Fi.
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