Starbucks to Offer Free Wi-Fi

If you connect them, they will come—or so Starbucks is hoping. Today, the coffee giant announced that it will begin offering free Wi-Fi internet through AT&T, at 6,700 of their cafes next month. The decision may be motivated by the fact that, six months ago, McDonald’s—now a rival to Starbucks, since it launched its successful McCafe gourmet coffee line—began offering the service at 11,500 of its locations. One thing the aptly named Starbucks Digital Network will have that Mickey D’s doesn’t? Free access to and exclusive downloads from paid sites, including the iTunes, The Wall Street Journal, Zagat, and more.