Free wireless internet access at McDonalds

don9999

shaun_d123 - that's exactly what I was expecting.

I was parked just outside the store - no more than 10-20 metres away from the serving desk. There was only one wireless network available - it's name was made up of a number of letters and numbers - can't remember it now, but was pretty sure it was McDonalds (is also almost out in the country, with only a garage nearby, so unlikely to be any other wireless networks in the area)

However, it did say it was a protected wireless network, and when I selected it, it requested the password.

Hmmmmm......

Doy22

The fast food chain McDonald's is to introduce free high speed wireless internet access at most of its 1,200 restaurants by the end of the year in a move which will make it the UK's biggest provider of such a service.Customers will be able to go online via their laptops, compatible mobile phones and games consoles for hours on end if they wish. The initiative goes a step further than existing services offered by some coffee shops and cafes, which provide Wi-Fi hotspots but charge users a fee.

McDonald's Corp said at the weekend that it would offer high-speed wireless Internet services to customers for free in 1,200 of its U.K. fast food outlets. I guess it is aimed at attracting consumers away from rival food chains and coffee shops - such as those of Starbucks Corp.

PROLIANT

As long as you can sit outside and use the "free access", I would eat my own !!!! before I set foot in one of those "obesity parlours", talk about promoting ill health or what.
:rolleyes:

iviv

I've found it rather handy. I'm stuck in the styx (A small village outsite of Bath) for work, no internet access in the village. At the weekend, I bring my laptop into bath with a charger, buy a McFlurry and spend a good few hours catching up on the sites that are blocked here.

PROLIANT

iviv wrote: »

I've found it rather handy. I'm stuck in the styx (A small village outsite of Bath) for work, no internet access in the village. At the weekend, I bring my laptop into bath with a charger, buy a McFlurry and spend a good few hours catching up on the sites that are blocked here.

Blocked site? Naughty stuff right?

iviv

'games'
'social networking site'
'other'

Those are the main ones i'm hit by. Plus, I go through the competitions forum, many of those are from sites like FHM and Zoo

unrich

Just beware that some McDs have a time limit on parking so your little free session could end up costing you much much more...

superscaper

unrich wrote: »

Just beware that some McDs have a time limit on parking so your little free session could end up costing you much much more...

Why would it cost more? You getting asked to leave is not costing you anything.

iviv

I think (s)he means that you could be clamped for staying over the time limit. Dunno if they could actually do this, though.

unrich

They have notices up and cameras and will charge you penalty for overstaying.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1027022_75_fine_for_parking_at_mcdonalds

for example

and

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/dec/11/stevenmorris.uknews4