Starbucks Signs Deal with AT&T for Wi-Fi, Dumps T-Mobile

Today Starbucks and AT&T announced a deal which will bring AT&T wireless service to Starbucks outlets across the company - while (unsaid) at the same time tossing T-Mobile wi-fi to the curb. I certainly didn't see this one coming.

T-Mobile and Starbucks had been partnered for six years.

In the press release, Rick Welday, AT&T chief marketing officer, Consumer, said:

"People want to stay connected to their world 24/7, and Wi-Fi hot spots, broadband and wireless make that mobility possible. 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."

Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks Coffee Company, said:

"This is what our customers have been waiting for — free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi."

Ah, if it's Starbucks-quality, then it ought to be strong (signal-wise).

This is particularly of interest to those with AT&T DSL service. Why? These new hotspots will fall under the expanded nationwide wi-fi service AT&T recently announced. Except for the Basic tier, all of those DSL customers will get free access to wi-fi at Starbucks, and this increases the number of AT&T U.S. hotspots to 17,000.

For those not so lucky, you will will pay $3.99 per two-hour session, or a monthly membership can be purchased for $19.99. The monthly membership will include access to any of AT&T's hot spots around the world.

According to the press release, the rollout will occur on a market-by-market basis beginning this spring, completed by the end of the year.