# Starbucks Canada to Offer Bell Wi-Fi



## interact (Mar 11, 2004)

> Starbucks locations to offer Wi-Fi wireless hotspots across Canada
> 
> Canadian Press
> 
> ...


 Canada.com


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

Stupid. It should be free.


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## RicktheChemist (Jul 18, 2001)

.


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## corinthian (Oct 5, 2004)

Bugger!

I got excited as i figured it would be free like most coffee shops offer in Ottawa.... There goes my dream of free wireless. (as i'm not less than 20m away from a starbucks)


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## GratuitousApplesauce (Jan 29, 2004)

I read that many cafes that have offered free wifi have found that they end up with a store full of guys on laptops sitting all day nursing one coffee.

Rather than charging outright though, why don't they offer access based on buying something. Each receipt gives you so many minutes per dollar spent and prints out a unique code to use for logging on.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

GratuitousApplesauce said:


> I read that many cafes that have offered free wifi have found that they end up with a store full of guys on laptops sitting all day nursing one coffee.
> 
> Rather than charging outright though, why don't they offer access based on buying something. Each receipt gives you so many minutes per dollar spent and prints out a unique code to use for logging on.


That's a brilliant idea.. and so obvious it makes you wonder why they haven't done that already!

I really wish wifi was available at more places I like to go to.. I spend money there anyway, and it'd be nice to be able to bring my laptop with me and surf the web, etc..

You just know it's going to be expensive if Bell has any say in it... man I hate that company.


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## The Great Waka (Nov 26, 2002)

kloan said:


> That's a brilliant idea.. and so obvious it makes you wonder why they haven't done that already!
> 
> I really wish wifi was available at more places I like to go to.. I spend money there anyway, and it'd be nice to be able to bring my laptop with me and surf the web, etc..
> 
> You just know it's going to be expensive if Bell has any say in it... man I hate that company.


It would be tricky to implement though. For example, I like just having a grande size green tea. That costs dollars less than someone who orders a venti triple-super-amazing-expensive drink. Why that does entitle me to less wifi time, just because I prefer tea over a super high-calorie cup of liquid sugar? Impossible to regulate.

It should be free, and that's all there is to it. I'm sure that they make enough money as it is. Then again, hopefully in a few years we will have that city-wide wifi. Which also should be free


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## andrewenterprise (May 22, 2005)

Free wifi at a restaurant or coffee shop would be great here. I dont know of any places that offer free wifi here in waterloo.


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## VVA88IT (Aug 21, 2005)

Just thinking out loud here.... how about free wifi ... but you have to pay for plugging your laptop into their electrical outlet. Or they can just remove all of their spare outlets. That should limit your time in the cafe.


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

Fredericton offers free WIFI in the downtown and certain other spots. One of them being Regent Mall which has a Starbucks. The free WIFI is available in the Starbucks. I wonder how they will block it so you have to pay for Bell?


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## Chipper (Aug 31, 2004)

"Free wifi at a restaurant or coffee shop would be great here. I dont know of any places that offer free wifi here in waterloo."

andrewenterprise - 2 years ago William's Coffee Pub in the University Plaza did have free wifi (FibreTech). I loved it!. A big, buttery corn mufffin, an extra large coffee, and my iBook and I was in heaven. What a disappointment last September when I found out that FibreTech's wifi was no longer a free ride.

Here. in the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, free wifi would be so-o-o nice!


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

The Great Waka said:


> It would be tricky to implement though. For example, I like just having a grande size green tea. That costs dollars less than someone who orders a venti triple-super-amazing-expensive drink. Why that does entitle me to less wifi time, just because I prefer tea over a super high-calorie cup of liquid sugar? Impossible to regulate.
> 
> It should be free, and that's all there is to it. I'm sure that they make enough money as it is. Then again, hopefully in a few years we will have that city-wide wifi. Which also should be free


They could do it by estimating the time it would take to consume whatever you buy, and giving you access for that time..


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## teeterboy3 (May 22, 2005)

At first I wanted to be angry about the fact that they are charging for it. But, then I remember what a trip to the local Starbucks is like these days now that university is back in session. And maybe charging for that service ain't such a bad thing…

I mean it would certainly ween out those poeple who go down to the starbucks and bring their laptops to be seen laptopping the new, greatest thing. My brother and I play a game where we count the people doing useful things on their laptops vs. those opening and closing programs, and resizing untitled windows and then closing them as though they are almost _genius bar_ caliber gurus putting the machine through a series of rigorous tests - You will also see them in computer stores doing such displays… It's usually half and half. And the best people are the ones who lug their laptop down to Starbucks to play solitaire.

At any rate, I think it would be a bad idea for them to have it free - there would be some hard core squatting.


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## teeterboy3 (May 22, 2005)

kloan said:


> That's a brilliant idea.. and so obvious it makes you wonder why they haven't done that already!
> 
> I really wish wifi was available at more places I like to go to.. I spend money there anyway, and it'd be nice to be able to bring my laptop with me and surf the web, etc..
> 
> You just know it's going to be expensive if Bell has any say in it... man I hate that company.


The McDonalds near Kitchener on the 401 offered Wifi. And basically you bought over a certain amount of food and you got like a half hour of access - a great idea for salespeople and businessmen on the road.


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## TheBat (Feb 11, 2005)

It's already so difficult to get a seat at the local Starbucks - with free wifi it will be impossible, as many will just park themselves for hours on end.

I say yes to expensive wifi. If you cannot just sit and take it easy, enjoying your drink, while just recharging; you deserve to pay a top rate for wifi.


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## VertiGoGo (Aug 21, 2001)

corinthian said:


> Bugger!
> 
> I got excited as i figured it would be free like most coffee shops offer in Ottawa.... There goes my dream of free wireless. (as i'm not less than 20m away from a starbucks)


corinthian, if you're in Ottawa you should support our local coffee company, Bridgehead: Fairly Traded, organic and shade-grown coffees from small scale farmers. They were the first such coffee company in Canada, they have five stores in Ottawa (and counting) and all of them have free wireless access. 

Funny thing is that Starbucks views Bridgehead as their biggest competitor in the Ottawa market, even though they have many more stores than Bridgehead. 

Think of it as coffee without the bitter taste of exploitation. They also do mail order for those who don't live in Ottawa.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Select McDonald's location such as the one on Willingdon and Still Creek Drive in Burnaby offers 45 minutes of WiFi with purchase of $3 or more.


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## coreLlama (Aug 5, 2005)

I tried the coffee at Bridgehead a couple of times and didn't really like it. Their sandwiches and the new store on Elgin are great though. They defiantly have the space for people to stay a while on free WiFi.


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

GratuitousApplesauce said:


> I read that many cafes that have offered free wifi have found that they end up with a store full of guys on laptops sitting all day nursing one coffee.


Does this really surprise anybody? Give somebody an inch and they'll take a mile...


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## CompGuy (Sep 19, 2004)

I think the idea of wi-fi with reasonable purchase amount is fair. As I type this, I am sitting in a Mcdonald's which offers the $3. purchase = 45 minutes wifi. I think it is fair enough. The "Hot Spot" system at Second Cup/Starbucks etc is too expensive. Wi-fi hotspots should be near free or completely free. When I was in NYC this past summer there was a park near Times Square that was a fair size with good seating all around and free Wi-Fi provided by Google - the only unfortunate thing was that I did not have my Powerbook with me to take advantage of it.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

I'm thinking Starbucks could bundle at least 150 minutes of WiFi free with a purchase of a $20 prepaid card. Half an hour of WiFi for a grande coffee and a banana loaf ain't bad.

At least with Boingo, Fatport, and the like, with one monthly payment or prepaid cards you can use their internet service that's available at many locations like Earls, Mac's convenience stores, and many small coffee shops. Bell, like Telus, is going to overcharge like heck and that's not appealing at all.


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## darkscot (Nov 13, 2003)

coreLlama said:


> I tried the coffee at Bridgehead a couple of times and didn't really like it. Their sandwiches and the new store on Elgin are great though. They defiantly have the space for people to stay a while on free WiFi.


Bridgehead has gorgeous tasting coffee - Mayan Fusion: try it. Experiment, you'll find one that hits your buds right.


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## DEWLine (Sep 24, 2005)

*Which* coffee shops in Ottawa?

I don't have an Airport card at the moment, but I have moments where I'm tempted...


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## DEWLine (Sep 24, 2005)

If I take the offer, I'm likely to get at least a mug of tea to go with. If the cookies sold at the counter are good, they may go through a few of those as well.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

Free hotspots galore in Montreal, including cafés, bars, libraries, galleries, parks...I can even reach one from my office: 

English intro: http://ilesansfil.org/tiki-index.php

List: http://auth.ilesansfil.org/hotspot_status.php

I refuse to set foot inside a Starbucks. After seeing what's become of Yonge St., with at least one every block for miles and miles, I can't bring myself to encourage them to do the same here.


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## rubeole (Oct 21, 2005)

iMatt said:


> Free hotspots galore in Montreal, including cafés, bars, libraries, galleries, parks...I can even reach one from my office:
> 
> English intro: http://ilesansfil.org/tiki-index.php
> 
> ...


All of what you just said.


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## TheBat (Feb 11, 2005)

For those using hotspots, consider security. I have become educated by listening to the Security Now Podcast, also available through iTunes


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## ArtificiaLard (Feb 8, 2005)

I'm pleasantly surprised much of the time to open my laptop in a random Starbucks and get access to some random unprotected network. 

Of course this applies to most situations but I think this is particularly useful here because of Starbuck's inclination towards hipster/gentrified/yuppy/hip areas that are more likely to have new technology (wireless, high-speed).


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## focal (Jan 7, 2003)

anyone who buys gets a 10 minute coupon to log in...clear and simple


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## BeanBased (Mar 15, 2005)

In downtown Kitchener there is an excellent coffee shop called Matter of Taste that has an open wi-fi network. 

I am not going to buy a $4 "coffee based drink" at Starbucks and then pay for wi-fi.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

.


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## limabean (Aug 1, 2003)

*In New Zealand...*

... when I was there, the WIFI provider had a great formula. You could buy a download quota. For example, you could buy 1G of download and you had a year to consume it. Doesn't hurt as much as having to pay for two ISPs (wifi at Starbucks or Telus at the airport for example and your home). 

If someone offered that formula here, I would go for it. 

Best


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