Starbucks chooses AT&T over T-Mobile for Hotspot contract
Oh, what a sad day it is for T-Mobile. The wireless provider has been struggling for market share for quite some time now, consistently being trumped by AT&T and Verizon at just about every turn. One of their biggest assets, however, has been their exclusive contract with Starbucks to provide pay-per-use and subscription Wi-Fi service in most of the coffee company’s retail stores. Not any longer. Beginning this Spring, Starbucks customers will be able to enjoy up to 2 free hours of Wi-Fi service courtesy of AT&T. Each additional 2 hour chunk will cost $3.99, with a $19.99 monthly subscription providing access at all other AT&T hotspots as well. Existing AT&T broadband customers will be entitled to unlimited free usage. This is great news for consumers who have been locked into paying T-Mobile’s excessive usage rates, especially in an era of nearly ubiquitous free Wi-Fi, but could serve a potentially dangerous blow to T-Mobile’s revenue stream.
[Thanks, Julian and TJ!]
Oh man that sucks!! I’ve been with Sprint, and AT&T in the past, and I really prefer T-Mobile. The have better customer service, great phones, and the best prices. AT&T’s ads are nothing but lies and they are the Microsoft of telecommunications. At lease my T-Mo HotSpot will continue to work, and I hope it always will.
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Sucks to be T-Mobile but considering their ridiculous charges to browse the net at places where it should be free for a few hours, I’m not surprised that Starbucks chose AT&T - larger customer base, better service and more revenue (longer the people stay at SBucks, the longer they’ll use the net and won’t mind paying $3.99 for another 2 hours) - great marketing strategy. I know I’m in… :0)
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Tmobile is the worst carrier of all 4 I’m not surprised at all
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I’m sure there are a lot out there who love AT&T, and yes they have great coverage, but they are a terrible company. I agree T-Mo should have done a similar thing earlier themselves, but still it saddens me to see the jerks at AT&T arrive.
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amen to starbucks
there’s always a reason why they’re kicked out from China
I don’t use starsucks after all
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I think paying to use WiFi in public sucks in general, they should provide 2 free hours for each customer or something.
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That’s so weird this was written in the negative. Doesn’t this mean though that T-Mobile subscribers who have Wi-Fi capable phones still browse free, but that AT&T customers actually have to pay (like everything else at AT&T)? Seems to me that it only sucks to AT&T customers, because unlike their competitor, their customers are being squelched dry for their pennies.
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Why is $19.95 a month excessive when it is T-Mobile and not excessive when it is ATT? Also, if Starbucks chooses to subsidize the first two hours with ATT, they could have already been doing that with T-Mobile. Let’s not blame T-Mobile for Starbucks marketing initiatives.
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Ronson
No, it means T-Mobile dosent browse at all. How much more plain could the article be????
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From what I understand:
1) ATT DSL customers get free wi-fi
2) SBUX customers using SBuX Cardto pay for cofee get 2 hours Free
3) T-Mobile customers continue to get free access under agreement
4) Walk-in customers get Wi-fi for $4/2hours compared to T-M’s $10/day
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I don’t know anything about the deal, but I’m gonna assume that the reason probably has something to do with the fact that ATT’s rates are cheaper, way cheaper actually.
T-Mobile: $6/hr
ATT: $3.99/2 hr
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So if wireless customers have WiFi enabled phones *Tilt cough cough* do we get free WiFi or the same 2 free hours then pay after that?
Knowing att it’ll be a no and they’re probably going to find some way to rip you off the moment you connect to the WiFi.
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Hello this is a bit of a shocker. I only have a few things to say about this.
1. Kanebb T-mobile hotspots has nothing to do with T-moble’s GSM/GPRS services so your comment was assnine. Hotspots broadband internet iaccess is provided by Att so any issues you have with crapy service is caused by them not Tmobile. It’s just like me saying that the T-mobile cycling team lost a race because T-mobile doesn’t have 3G or a call was droped somewhere in New York City.
2. T-mobile is the only nationwide wireless service provider that only sells wireless cell services while the others sell homeline and home internet service. It kindof hard to compete with ATT or Verizon when all of T-mobiles revenue is comming from their wireless services alone. I have mentioned this before how hotspot@home was a perfect way for T-mobile to compete with Att’s or Verizons landline servces. Just as a refreasher when using hotspot@home it will allow any T-mobile customer with a uma phone to access or use their Tmobile serces though an open wifi connection or any tmobile hotspots. Data over UMA is not the same as data using wifi. I don’t know if people truly understands UMA but not to compicate things but it slimply allowing the phone to use a wifi access point to be used as a tower and all other functions of the phone and network would remain the same except for the benifit of speed. It’s like t-mobile is lossing 7000 towers yeah not that good for hotspot@home customers wanting unlimited hispeed t-mobile sevice when at a starbucks. Going to be intersting to see how this will affect uma.
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your wrong, just means AT&T runs the wifi. T-mobile customers can still use without problems, so is not a big deal.
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Jon B you are way off base. T-Mobile customers can use just like they did before with no changes.
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T-Mobile is pushing UMA for home users who are outside main signal areas not to compete with internet providers.
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This comment does not make sense: “This is great news for consumers who have been locked into paying T-Mobile’s excessive usage rates, especially in an era of nearly ubiquitous free Wi-Fi”
T-Mobile users always had free access in Starbucks using their T-Zones granted they had unlimited data plans. Plus, T-Mobiles data plans are far less expensive than AT&T’s. No matter how you slice it, AT&T customers are going to be bankrupt in a matter of time at all the additional charges the provider throws at them.
Maybe it’s time to “go pink, and get more!”
Plus, the author of this post is consistently reporting news regarding this particular carrier in a negative slant; yet I see so many paid-for advertisements on this site? Shouldn’t a T-Mobile rep realize this and full their ad sales? It’s like seeing an ad for Chanel No. 5 in Vogue opposite an article that says the stuff smells like a homeless man on a hot July afternoon…weird…
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Wow here is something I don’t understand. Do any of you read? It was explained how you obtain the first two hours for free… On top of that, the “@home” service which if half of you were up to date is now called “Talk Forever” is two things. 1. A work around for low to no coverage areas and 2. As you will soon find out is a way T-Mobile is going to directly compete with the wireline services. Think about it 9.99 a month for all your phones to have unlimited nationwide calling while on wifi (and yes there are certain circumstances like business pooling plans that are more)…. Why would you be that stupid to pay att or verizon two to three times that amount and for some people plus long distance charges. Sometimes I wonder if people on here smoke a bag of meth before they post. Idiots.
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you kidding me….att sucks….my work cell is att and my own cell is t mobile…i work all over so cal…att isnt even in the same world.
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Wasn’t this obvious to you all after att got the iphone?the iphone and the touch have the ability to connect to starbucks network letting you know what music you are hearing in store and the ability to download it over the wifi. if att and apple have teamed up and apple with starbucks this has to be the next logical step. I don’t think this has been rolled out yet it all starbucks but I’m sure with this new agreement it will comming soon! I like it. T mobile is terrible
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AT&T and Starbucks…booo
I hate what AT&T represents. Bring back Cingular.
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I am sorry johnj after reading my comment I realized I could have word it much beter. So let’s try it again.
It makes sence why a copany like T-mobile has decided to go with UMA nationwide. T-mobile has a smaller network base so yes using uma will give customers signal at locations that might not have coverage otherwise but more importantly it will free up valuable bandwith improving the overall quality and performace of Tmobiles network.
These phones are set to use UMA when ever available not just when GSM is not. Tmobile does care about their customers but do you really think they would invest all the time and mony developing UMA if it would just be used by those customers without signal.
How many times durring your day are you within wifi signal and not even know it. Most likly as you are reading this you are within a wifi signal.Think about how hudge the benifits would be if all their phones supported UMA.
Now with the competing with the att verzion coment I could have explained it a bit better aswell. We as of yet can’t compete with internet but we can on voice. UMA is similar to VOIP and Tmobile can compete with other Voip services like Vantage. Now if you have seen any of the Vontage ads you know they are competing direct with the landline companies. With the new pricing of hotspots at home addon our service are very competitive with Vantage and in turn want to compete with home landine service as well.
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yes,they are driving to be peoples home phone not ISP
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any one ever heard of att unity,(one bill)and you can use uma now over att in a starbucks or any where else there is a open wifi(skype), the bad thing is there are very few uma phones. kudo’s to tmobile for exploiting this great feature.
Again unity is not in many locations yet. Verizon and ATT want to be the all services provider, and until they make it easy for us, i am going to pick the carrier with the best service and cheapest price.
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Just so you guys know T-mobile cus have always been allowed to use wifi for an unlimited time they just need the 20 dollar internet package, and according to customer care even though ATT will provide the service soon under the agreement t-mobile customers will continue to get unlimited wifi there for “many more years.” Att are the ones who stink because like always they’re limiting their customers usage, whereas t-mobile who have always been unlimited are going to continue that unlimited service. Users will still be able to use those signals at no charge and this won’t affect hotspot@home service whatsoever. So can we say sux to be with ATT.
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