New Offering Includes Two Hours of Free Wi-Fi Service Per Day for Starbucks
Card Holders Beginning this Spring
All 100,000 U.S.-Based Starbucks Partners to Receive Free Wi-Fi at
Starbucks Stores
SEATTLE and SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc.
(NYSE: T) and Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) today announced plans to deliver
AT&T Wi-Fi(SM) service at more than 7,000 company-operated Starbucks
locations across the United States. The initiative brings together two of
the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient
online experience for consumers and business customers. Starbucks and AT&T
will offer a mix of free and paid Wi-Fi offerings at Starbucks stores to
meet the needs of both frequent and occasional Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.
The initiative further expands the AT&T Wi-Fi network, already the
largest in the United States, to more than 17,000 U.S. hot spots and more
than 70,000 globally.
Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours
of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access,
while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verse(SM)
Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In
addition, more than 5 million of AT&T's remote access services business
customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T
will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless
customers.
"People want to stay connected to their world 24/7, and Wi-Fi hot
spots, broadband and wireless make that mobility possible," said Rick
Welday, AT&T chief marketing officer, Consumer. "Laptops and smartphones
give us the online mobility we crave, and now millions of AT&T and
Starbucks customers will get Internet access free from the comfort of their
neighborhood Starbucks."
"This is what our customers have been waiting for -- free
Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer,
Starbucks Coffee Company. "Through our new partnership with AT&T, we also
welcome their millions of current customers who can now come in and enjoy
free Wi-Fi as part of their daily Starbucks Experience."
As an added benefit for the more than 100,000 Starbucks partners in the
U.S., all Starbucks partners will receive free AT&T Wi-Fi accounts allowing
them to use the network in Starbucks company-operated locations offering
Wi-Fi access.
"Our new relationship with AT&T gives us the opportunity to expand and
enhance the range of digital entertainment experiences for our customers as
well as our partners, including the continued rollout of the iTunes Wi-Fi
Music Store at Starbucks," said Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks
Entertainment.
In addition to the free Wi-Fi access for qualifying AT&T customers and
any Starbucks Card holder, customers will be able to purchase tiered access
to the AT&T Wi-Fi network at Starbucks at attractive price points. For a
two-hour period, customers will pay just $3.99 per session. Monthly
membership will also be available for $19.99 per month, and will include
access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries around the world.
AT&T business customers who subscribe to remote access services can
also enjoy unlimited, flat-rate access plans at any Starbucks location
offering Wi-Fi service or at other AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots.
Additionally, AT&T is providing Starbucks an enterprise-class network
with increased bandwidth and redundancy. AT&T's underlying network
technologies will enable a wide range of business applications and help
Starbucks stores operate more efficiently.
"Delivering networking capabilities to help a world-class company such
as Starbucks achieve greater business velocity is what we do," said Welday.
"Our work with Starbucks is collaborative innovation at its finest."
The availability of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks will take place on
a market-by-market basis with store implementation beginning this spring
and completed by the end of the year.
Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as
part of an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of
AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their
offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications
services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and
voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory
publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and
YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators
in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen
integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services
provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at
http://www.att.com.
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the
AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T
Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks
contained herein are the property of their respective owners. For more
information and detailed disclaimer information, please review this
announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.
About Starbucks
Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches
people's lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee
at a time. To share in the experience, visit http://www.starbucks.com.
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