Finally: Starbucks to offer free Wi-Fi

AP Photo: Starbucks will begin offering free Wi-Fi on July 1.When I met a friend at a small coffee shop today, I pulled out my computer, confident there would be Wi-Fi. There was. That's because we've come to expect free Wi-Fi at places like Panera, McDonald's, and just about any coffee shop we walk into.

All but Starbucks, that is. After loosening its paid Wi-Fi policy to provide registered Starbucks card users with two hours of free Wi-Fi, Starbucks announced this week it will offer free, unlimited Wi-Fi at most of its U.S. locations beginning on July 1. The company clearly decided not offering free Wi-Fi is not a good thing to make it unique in the market.

It's good news, as Stephen Colbert said on his show, for people who can't afford Wi-Fi because they're spending $6 on a cup of coffee.

As part of the change, Starbucks will be be offering online content through its Wi-Fi portal, the Starbucks Digital Network. It's a partnership with Yahoo! (full disclosure) that will give Starbucks Web surfers access to some paid sites, such as the Wall Street Journal, free downloads from Apple's iTunes, the New York Times, Patch, USA Today, and Zagat.

So, will you be hanging out with your computer or iPhone in Starbucks more starting this summer? Or does this change in Wi-Fi service make little difference in your coffee house habits?