Google Replaces AT&T At Starbucks 100
coolnumbr12 writes "A new partnership between Starbucks and Google hopes to improve the lives of freelance writers around the country. Starting in August, Google plans to make Internet speeds at all 7,000 Starbucks locations in the U.S. 10 times faster than the current AT&T-powered service. For people in a city equipped with Google Fiber, Google says the speed in Starbucks could increase as much as 100 times."
That'll be great until... (Score:5, Insightful)
Uh oh.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Please sign in with your Google+ account and accept our TOS!
Wait... (Score:0, Insightful)
If the ISP isn't google fiber, who is google contracting to provide the service?
Re:More bandwidth for them (Score:3, Insightful)
This value may translate into allowances for higher speeds. They could also offer a free slow speed, upgrade speed if you log into you Google accounts, offer day passes, or simply limit the downloaded content. It does seem unimaginable that Starbucks would find value creating a high speed location to look at pr0n.
I don't find anything wrong with the current ATT situation. It has changed over time, gotten better and worse, but right now it is good. It is probably a expense that Starbucks wants to get rid of. I find fewer coffee houses that gives free and open internet. I find department stores has better broadband, you know surf on the ipad while the others shop.
Re:This was definitely needed! (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course it's slow. High speed internet is expensive. Starbucks are locally owned and can't just splurge on faster internet for the freeloaders. The question is how is Google actually going to get higher speeds. They can't just wave a magic wand and suddenly the wires improve. They're going to be eating a lot of cash to upgrade stuff.
But sheesh, it's coffee. Buy your drink then LEAVE.
Re:Uh oh.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Please sign in with your Google+ account and accept our TOS!
Which to be fair, is probably several times less abusive than the AT&T TOS that Starbucks accepted on your behalf.
Re:leeches (Score:3, Insightful)
I have to face it. I am single. I cannot economically justify the expense of a personal high-speed internet connection, and the way web pages are coded these days, using a low speed connection is next to useless for anything but google searches.
I do buy their coffee while I am in there, and consider the markup on the cup of coffee about right for providing me access to the net. Yes, there are some leeches, but most I see are people who really need this... college students just looking for a place to socialize and study, and I note some homeless people using it. I just feel fortunate I have the means to buy the coffee. I feel Starbucks is doing a better job of supporting my area than most when it comes to what they do with the dollar that goes across their counter.
The library and local college have wifi access too. So does McDonalds, but McDonalds is not quite the kind of place to sit back and contemplate things like Starbucks is.
Re:This was definitely needed! (Score:5, Insightful)
No, they aren't. With few exceptions they are all 100% company owned (at least in the 'States).
Starbucks is not a franchise, which is why they've been able to push out so many local coffee shops. With the weight of the entire corporation able to be brought to bear at any single location, they've been able to run locations at a loss for years right next to mom & pop shops. The "genius" here is that they don't need to do better then the mom & pop to win...they simply need to reduce the income of the mom & pop shop enough to make them unprofitable...and then wait them out until they leave. Then with the location clear of competition they get all the business.
NOT being locally owned is the key to Starbuck's domination.