McDonald's To Provide Free Wi-Fi

Continuing their attack on Starbucks, McDonald's has announced that they too will offer free Wi-Fi, beginning in January.

The company, the world's largest fast-food chain, has offered Internet access for about five years. In mid-January, it will lift the $2.95 fee it has charged for two hours of Internet access at 11,000 of its 14,000 U.S. locations. There will be no time limit after the fee is lifted. "McDonald's is about value – value in our food, value in our services," Grooms said. "It's a natural fit." It's also a good fit with the company's growing coffee business, which has upped the chain's competition with Starbucks Corp., which also offers free wireless access. Coffee and the McCafe line of drinks at McDonald's have helped drive its sales and increase its market share in the U.S.

I doubt this will apply to the McDonald's in airports, one of the last places you still have to pay.