Google wants holiday travelers to be able to stay connected when in flight this year so the company has teamed up with AirTran, Delta and Virgin America to offer free Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi on every domestic flight from November 20, 2010 through January 2, 2011. The three airlines have outfitted their entire domestic fleet with in-flight Wi-Fi in order to offer the free Internet service to more than 700 planes and approximately 15 million expected passengers this holiday season.
Typically, GoGo charges anywhere from $5 to $13 for Internet access per flight, depending on the travelers flight length with additional monthly packages ranging from $30 to $40 for you frequent travelers.
This season marks the second straight year that Google has provided free Wi-Fi to travelers over the holiday season. Last year, Google worked with Virgin America as well as more than 50 airports to provide free Internet both on the ground and in the air. This year, the Chrome team is continuing that mission by joining with AirTran and Delta in addition to Virgin America, to concentrate on connecting travelers while they’re in the sky.
“We are constantly working to help provide a better web experience to users around the world,” said Sundar Pichai, Vice President of Product Management at Google. “Whether it be building a better browser with Chrome or bringing free Wi-Fi to air travelers this holiday season, we are constantly innovating to ensure users’ access to the web is fast, simple and seamless.”
You can find out more about this partnership at www.freeholidaywifi.com.
Showing posts with label free wifi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free wifi. Show all posts
Monday, November 08, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
McDonald's Giving Customers Free Unlimted WiFi
According to the Wall Street Journal and other similar report McDonald's is planning on offering free unlimited Wi-Fi to all their customers.
The free Wi-Fi will come with no time limits, all the better to encourage visitors to stay longer and buy McDonald's coffee drinks and hamburgers.
According to the reports starting mid-January, the fast food restaurant will eliminate the $2.95 fee that it had previously charged for two hours of Internet access. The company also plans to expand the free Wi-Fi service to all 14,000 of their U.S. restaurants over time.
For more details or to find a McDonald's location near you checkout http://www.mcdonalds.com/wireless.html
The free Wi-Fi will come with no time limits, all the better to encourage visitors to stay longer and buy McDonald's coffee drinks and hamburgers.
According to the reports starting mid-January, the fast food restaurant will eliminate the $2.95 fee that it had previously charged for two hours of Internet access. The company also plans to expand the free Wi-Fi service to all 14,000 of their U.S. restaurants over time.
For more details or to find a McDonald's location near you checkout http://www.mcdonalds.com/wireless.html
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Free Wireless Broadband On Hold
The Federal Communications Commission has canceled a December 18th meeting scheduled to vote on a free wireless Internet plan using part of AWS-3 spectrum. That means that free nation wide wireless broadband service is on hold, for now at least.
The FCC has been considering whether it should auction off 25 megahertz of wireless spectrum in the 2155MHz to 2180MHz band (AWS-3 spectrum). In exchange for using the spectrum, the FCC would require license holders to offer some form of free wireless broadband service. This service would be used as a way to provide free Internet access to millions of Americans who either can't afford or don't want to pay for high-speed Internet access.
In addition to requiring that license holders set aside a portion of the spectrum for free wi-fi the FCC was also going to require that the Web service be filtered for pornography and material deemed not suitable for children.
The plan and its stipulations have been met with opposition from several top officials, wireless providers, and even civil rights groups. With the latest opposition coming from U.S. Representative Henry Waxman of California and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. The two senators will chair the committees overseeing the FCC in the next Congress both wrote letters the week urging FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to hold off on the vote.
"We received the letter from Senator Rockefeller and Congressman Waxman today and spoke with other offices. In light of the letter, it does not appear that there is consensus to move forward and the agenda meeting has been canceled. The items will remain on circulation and the Commissioners can still vote on them," FCC spokesman Robert Kenny said in a statement.
Earlier this week the Bush administration also spoke out in opposition to the proposed auction. According to a report published Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez sent a letter to the agency's Republican chairman Wednesday afternoon expressing the administration's displeasure with the idea.
"The administration believes that the (airwaves) should be auctioned without price or product mandate," Gutierrez wrote, according to the Journal's report. "The history of FCC spectrum auctions has shown that the potential for problems increases in instances where licensing is overly prescriptive or designed around unproven business models."
The FCC might have better luck pushing along the auctions when President elect Obama takes control of the White House next year. In his tech agenda Obama outlines support for an open internet as well as a need for wider reaching broadband access. Obama hasn’t said if he agrees with the AWS-3 auction rules, but Obama has previously pledged 100% broadband availability across the country.
The FCC has been considering whether it should auction off 25 megahertz of wireless spectrum in the 2155MHz to 2180MHz band (AWS-3 spectrum). In exchange for using the spectrum, the FCC would require license holders to offer some form of free wireless broadband service. This service would be used as a way to provide free Internet access to millions of Americans who either can't afford or don't want to pay for high-speed Internet access.
In addition to requiring that license holders set aside a portion of the spectrum for free wi-fi the FCC was also going to require that the Web service be filtered for pornography and material deemed not suitable for children.
The plan and its stipulations have been met with opposition from several top officials, wireless providers, and even civil rights groups. With the latest opposition coming from U.S. Representative Henry Waxman of California and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. The two senators will chair the committees overseeing the FCC in the next Congress both wrote letters the week urging FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to hold off on the vote.
"We received the letter from Senator Rockefeller and Congressman Waxman today and spoke with other offices. In light of the letter, it does not appear that there is consensus to move forward and the agenda meeting has been canceled. The items will remain on circulation and the Commissioners can still vote on them," FCC spokesman Robert Kenny said in a statement.
Earlier this week the Bush administration also spoke out in opposition to the proposed auction. According to a report published Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez sent a letter to the agency's Republican chairman Wednesday afternoon expressing the administration's displeasure with the idea.
"The administration believes that the (airwaves) should be auctioned without price or product mandate," Gutierrez wrote, according to the Journal's report. "The history of FCC spectrum auctions has shown that the potential for problems increases in instances where licensing is overly prescriptive or designed around unproven business models."
The FCC might have better luck pushing along the auctions when President elect Obama takes control of the White House next year. In his tech agenda Obama outlines support for an open internet as well as a need for wider reaching broadband access. Obama hasn’t said if he agrees with the AWS-3 auction rules, but Obama has previously pledged 100% broadband availability across the country.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
AT&T Finally Offers Free Wi-Fi For iPhone Users
It looks like they day is here, free Wi-Fi for Apple's iPhone users is finally available from AT&T.
After two failed attempts at getting it right it looks like this time the notice posted on AT&T's Web site is accurate. The company is indeed allowing all iPhone users to access its 17,000 Wi-Fi hot spots around the country for free.
Earlier this year AT&T had mistakenly published information announcing that they'd be offering free Wi-Fi to iPhone users. But this time it looks like its true. CNet News, allong with several other sites, double-checked with AT&T's public relations team just to make sure.
The free Wi-Fi will be available wherever AT&T offers a Wi-Fi hot spot, which includes several restaurant chains, airports, and Starbucks coffee shops.
After two failed attempts at getting it right it looks like this time the notice posted on AT&T's Web site is accurate. The company is indeed allowing all iPhone users to access its 17,000 Wi-Fi hot spots around the country for free.
Earlier this year AT&T had mistakenly published information announcing that they'd be offering free Wi-Fi to iPhone users. But this time it looks like its true. CNet News, allong with several other sites, double-checked with AT&T's public relations team just to make sure.
The free Wi-Fi will be available wherever AT&T offers a Wi-Fi hot spot, which includes several restaurant chains, airports, and Starbucks coffee shops.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Push Made For More U.S. Broadband Access
A list of highly respected, highly influential Internet guru's joined forces with the commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission Tuesday in renewing calls for the U.S. government to more actively expand broadband service.
The group including Stanford Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig, Columbia professor and author, Timothy Wu, Google VP and Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf, and FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, announced Internetforeveryone.org.
Their goal is "to see that every American gets connected to a fast, affordable, and open Internet." They called it a "basic right" that should be afforded to all Americans.
Broadband advocates have complained that the U.S. government has not stepped up to help make widespread adoption of broadband enough of a priority. For years now U.S. residents have lagged behind those of several nations in purchasing broadband access, according to a recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
According to the ITIF 2008 Broadband Statistics the United States ranks 15th in the world. A ranking that many people feel is unacceptable. FCC member Jonathan Adelstein said this low adoption of broadband use puts the country at risk in lagging behind globally in other social, educational and economic endeavors.
Internetforeveryone.org is based on four principles, said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press and one of those who launched the initiative.
Those principles are to provide access to high-speed, world-class communications infrastructure to every home and business in America; to ensure that people have sizable choice of broadband providers; to foster openness so users have the right to freedom of speech and commerce when using the Internet; and to promote innovation so the Internet can create jobs and foster entrepreneurship and economic growth.
InternetforEveryone.org said it will look to national leaders to adopt a plan to deliver high-speed connections to every home.
The group including Stanford Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig, Columbia professor and author, Timothy Wu, Google VP and Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf, and FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, announced Internetforeveryone.org.
Their goal is "to see that every American gets connected to a fast, affordable, and open Internet." They called it a "basic right" that should be afforded to all Americans.
Broadband advocates have complained that the U.S. government has not stepped up to help make widespread adoption of broadband enough of a priority. For years now U.S. residents have lagged behind those of several nations in purchasing broadband access, according to a recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
According to the ITIF 2008 Broadband Statistics the United States ranks 15th in the world. A ranking that many people feel is unacceptable. FCC member Jonathan Adelstein said this low adoption of broadband use puts the country at risk in lagging behind globally in other social, educational and economic endeavors.
Internetforeveryone.org is based on four principles, said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press and one of those who launched the initiative.
Those principles are to provide access to high-speed, world-class communications infrastructure to every home and business in America; to ensure that people have sizable choice of broadband providers; to foster openness so users have the right to freedom of speech and commerce when using the Internet; and to promote innovation so the Internet can create jobs and foster entrepreneurship and economic growth.
InternetforEveryone.org said it will look to national leaders to adopt a plan to deliver high-speed connections to every home.
Monday, June 09, 2008
T-Mobile Sues Starbucks Over ATT Wi-Fi Deal
T-Mobile is upset over the fact that Starbucks and ATT are using their equipment to offer free Wi-Fi service to their customers. So T-Mobile is suing Starbucks Corp., accusing the coffee house operator of breaching a contract by allowing AT&T to provide customers with free Wi-Fi access using T-Mobile equipment.
T-Mobile USA alleges AT&T and Starbucks are not living up to an original agreement over how Starbucks should transfer from its T-Mobile USA relationship to a new partnership with AT&T. T-Mobile USA is seeking unspecified damages because of what it called Starbucks' willful breach of contract and unfair competition.
T-Mobile claims to have exclusive rights to market, offer and sell Wi-Fi services in Starbucks locations until all the stores in the given market are fully converted to AT&T. T-Mobile said Bakersfield, Calif. and San Antonio, Texas., are the only markets that have fully been fully converted, while the vast majority of cafes are still using T-Mobile networking equipment meaning they remain subject to T-Mobile's exclusivity rights, according to the lawsuit.
"If AT&T or Starbucks wanted to offer 'free' Wi-Fi in non-transitioned stores for Starbucks customers, as they are now doing, they should have - and, indeed, were contractually required to - negotiate such an arrangement with T-Mobile," the lawsuit said.
In the 13-page lawsuit filed late last Thursday in New York state court T- Mobile alleged that Starbucks used its equipment and technology while secretly developing a plan with AT&T to provide free Wi-Fi service.
"Since T-Mobile provides resources and equipment to support Wi-Fi service in non-transitioned stores, it is T-Mobile alone that is bearing the cost and burden associated with this 'free' Wi-Fi offer," the lawsuit said.
Last February Geek-News.Net reported that Starbucks was ending its partnership with T-Mobile in favor of an agreement with AT&T. Starbucks previously teamed with T-Mobile to provide Wi-Fi access to its customers at a rate of $6 for the first hour and then 10 cents per minute.
Recently AT&T and Starbucks announced they'd be offering two hours of free Wi-Fi Internet service to customers who have at least $5 on their Starbucks cards. For a short time they also offered free Wi-Fi to iPhone customers , a deal that might still be in the works.
T-Mobile USA alleges AT&T and Starbucks are not living up to an original agreement over how Starbucks should transfer from its T-Mobile USA relationship to a new partnership with AT&T. T-Mobile USA is seeking unspecified damages because of what it called Starbucks' willful breach of contract and unfair competition.
T-Mobile claims to have exclusive rights to market, offer and sell Wi-Fi services in Starbucks locations until all the stores in the given market are fully converted to AT&T. T-Mobile said Bakersfield, Calif. and San Antonio, Texas., are the only markets that have fully been fully converted, while the vast majority of cafes are still using T-Mobile networking equipment meaning they remain subject to T-Mobile's exclusivity rights, according to the lawsuit.
"If AT&T or Starbucks wanted to offer 'free' Wi-Fi in non-transitioned stores for Starbucks customers, as they are now doing, they should have - and, indeed, were contractually required to - negotiate such an arrangement with T-Mobile," the lawsuit said.
In the 13-page lawsuit filed late last Thursday in New York state court T- Mobile alleged that Starbucks used its equipment and technology while secretly developing a plan with AT&T to provide free Wi-Fi service.
"Since T-Mobile provides resources and equipment to support Wi-Fi service in non-transitioned stores, it is T-Mobile alone that is bearing the cost and burden associated with this 'free' Wi-Fi offer," the lawsuit said.
Last February Geek-News.Net reported that Starbucks was ending its partnership with T-Mobile in favor of an agreement with AT&T. Starbucks previously teamed with T-Mobile to provide Wi-Fi access to its customers at a rate of $6 for the first hour and then 10 cents per minute.
Recently AT&T and Starbucks announced they'd be offering two hours of free Wi-Fi Internet service to customers who have at least $5 on their Starbucks cards. For a short time they also offered free Wi-Fi to iPhone customers , a deal that might still be in the works.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
AT&T Gives Free Wi-Fi To LaptopConnect Customers
AT&T announced today that its LaptopConnect customers, who pay $60 or more a month for wide area wireless data connections, will also be able to access more than 17,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots in the U.S. for free.
Back in Feburary we announced AT&T's plans to give free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hot spots some AT&T broadband customers with wired connections. The carrier has since said it plans to expand free Wi-Fi access to additional wireless customers. AT&T's Wi-Fi connection policies have also been important to Apple iPhone users whom for a limited time were also granted free Wi-Fi.
Back in Feburary we announced AT&T's plans to give free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hot spots some AT&T broadband customers with wired connections. The carrier has since said it plans to expand free Wi-Fi access to additional wireless customers. AT&T's Wi-Fi connection policies have also been important to Apple iPhone users whom for a limited time were also granted free Wi-Fi.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Is Free Starbucks Wi-Fi Coming To AT&T iPhones?
Earlier today the AT&T iPhone page noted that "Access to AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots" was included in all iPhone subscriber plans, with additional details that spelled out the extent of that access. "Unlimited Data (e-mail and Web), 200 SMS text messages and access to AT&T's more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hot spots, including Starbucks all for use in the U.S. *"Wi-Fi available at U.S. company operated Starbucks locations equipped with a hot spot."*
However by 5 p.m. EDT Thursday, all mention of Wi-Fi hotspot access had been removed from the page. When contacted by Computerworld.com an AT&T customer service representative was unable to explain the change.
Just last week iPhone users at MacRumors.com had discovered that they could access AT&T's wireless access points in Starbucks coffee shops and other locations, including some Barnes & Noble bookstores, by entering their iPhone telephone number.
Within 24 hours AT&T had turned off the free access and users reported that they were being asked to now enter a username and password where one previously wasn't needed. The closing down of the service could in part be due to some users using tools to fool the hotspot into thinking their laptop browser was still an iPhone. (more info)
Earlier today, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel issued a blanket "no comment" when asked about the Wi-Fi information on his company's iPhone page.
However by 5 p.m. EDT Thursday, all mention of Wi-Fi hotspot access had been removed from the page. When contacted by Computerworld.com an AT&T customer service representative was unable to explain the change.
Just last week iPhone users at MacRumors.com had discovered that they could access AT&T's wireless access points in Starbucks coffee shops and other locations, including some Barnes & Noble bookstores, by entering their iPhone telephone number.
Within 24 hours AT&T had turned off the free access and users reported that they were being asked to now enter a username and password where one previously wasn't needed. The closing down of the service could in part be due to some users using tools to fool the hotspot into thinking their laptop browser was still an iPhone. (more info)
Earlier today, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel issued a blanket "no comment" when asked about the Wi-Fi information on his company's iPhone page.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
AT&T Gives iPhone Users Free Wi-Fi
AT&T is reportedly offering free wireless access to iPhone owners at several thousands of its public hot spots, including those recently acquired at Starbucks.
Initially reported on MacRumors.com several Apple iPhone users responded with their experiences at Starbucks. According to the reports, iPhone owners are presented with a specially formatted page when they launch the Safari browser. The form asks them to enter their iPhone phone number. Once the number is verified, users can browse using the hot spot rather than the much slower EDGE-based data network that AT&T also operates.
Computerworld confirmed the free iPhone Wi-Fi at a Starbucks location in Eugene, Ore., this morning.
Details about the wireless access are sketchy as so far AT&T has refused to comment. It is unknown, for example, if Wi-Fi access is unlimited, or available at all the 71,000-some hot spots run by AT&T, which include those at bookseller Barnes & Noble and throughout the McDonald's fast food chain.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Starbucks Moves To AT&T Hot Spots
Computerworld.com reports that Starbucks Corp. has announced that it is moving away from T-Mobile as its in-store Wi-Fi provider and will transition to AT&T Inc.'s Wi-Fi service in more than 7,000 of its high-end coffee shops beginning this spring.
Starbucks has said it will give customers who use a Starbucks card two hours of free wireless access per day. Additional time will cost $3.99 for a two-hour session and monthly memberships will cost $19.99 and include access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots worldwide.
Nearly all of AT&T's broadband Internet customers, about 12 million, will automatically have unlimited free Wi-Fi access at Starbucks, the companies said. This comes on the heels of the AT&T plans to offer free Wi-Fi to almost all of its current broadband subscribers.
The deal boosts the number of AT&T hotspots in the U.S. to 17,000 — the most in the nation. AT&T previously had around 10,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in the U.S. in places like airports, McDonald's restaurants, Barnes & Noble bookstores, coffee shops, and sporting venues.
A full list of hotspot locations can be found at the AT&T Wi-Fi website. AT&T users simply have to find the network (SSID: attwifi), and log in using their primary DSL or U-Verse account username and password.
Starbucks has said it will give customers who use a Starbucks card two hours of free wireless access per day. Additional time will cost $3.99 for a two-hour session and monthly memberships will cost $19.99 and include access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots worldwide.
Nearly all of AT&T's broadband Internet customers, about 12 million, will automatically have unlimited free Wi-Fi access at Starbucks, the companies said. This comes on the heels of the AT&T plans to offer free Wi-Fi to almost all of its current broadband subscribers.
The deal boosts the number of AT&T hotspots in the U.S. to 17,000 — the most in the nation. AT&T previously had around 10,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in the U.S. in places like airports, McDonald's restaurants, Barnes & Noble bookstores, coffee shops, and sporting venues.
A full list of hotspot locations can be found at the AT&T Wi-Fi website. AT&T users simply have to find the network (SSID: attwifi), and log in using their primary DSL or U-Verse account username and password.
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