Borders Joins B&N Offering Free Wi-Fi
Posted by Sam Churchill on October 1st, 2009Borders, the second-largest bookstore chain in the United States (after Barnes & Noble), said on Tuesday that it will provide free wireless Internet access in about 500 of its U.S. stores.
The company said it is working under a deal with Verizon to equip those stores with Wi-Fi, which it expects will be available by mid-October.
Verizon’s platform will allow Borders to create a splash page that customers first experience when they log on to the free Wi-Fi service, giving Borders the opportunity to feature compelling content such as news of hot titles, special discounts and the opportunity to join Borders Rewards, the retailer’s free customer loyalty program that has 34 million members.
Free Wi-Fi in books stores and coffee shops is becoming the norm.
- Barnes & Noble already allows patrons to surf for free, in a deal with AT&T
- All U.S. company-operated Starbucks hot spots now support AT&T Wi-Fi service. A $5 or more Starbucks Card, will get you two consecutive hours of complimentary AT&T Wi-Fi daily.
- Verizon is partnering with Boingo to deliver free WiFi access. Free Verizon Wi-Fi hot spot locations include hotels, airports, restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, convention centers and public locations across the U.S. Boingo’s network of Wi-Fi hotspots – which includes more than 100,000 locations around the world – IF you’re a Verizon FiOS or DSL broadband subscriber.
- Qwest Communications began offering its high-speed Internet customers free unlimited WiFi at McDonald’s, Starbucks and Barnes and Noble bookstores.
Booksellers have had to face a persistent slump in the book industry. Borders has been exiting shrinking categories like music and putting greater focus on helping shoppers pick books.
“It goes back to simple economics: in a competitive situation, price will get forced down to marginal cost – and the marginal cost of letting another person get on your WiFi network is zero,” says Mike Masnick. Glenn Fleishman once famously said; Free Wi-Fi from Starbucks? Ha! Ain’t. Gunna. Happen.
source : dailywireless.org
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