Starbucks Corp. said it has added T-Mobile USA Inc.’s Wi-Fi HotSpot service to more than 110 coffee houses in Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Wisconsin, and it now offers high-speed Internet access at more than 3,100 locations across the country.
The company noted that since it launched the service in August 2002, internal research has shown that HotSpot users visit Starbucks locations an average of eight times per month and average approximately an hour of Wi-Fi usage per visit. Starbucks added that nearly 90 percent of HotSpot use occurs during off-peak store hours, which it considered to be after 9 a.m.
“The convenience and reliability of T-Mobile HotSpot is bringing customers in more frequently and keeping them in the stores longer, primarily during off-peak hours,” said Ken Lombard, president of music and entertainment for Starbucks. “For these reasons, we believe T-Mobile HotSpot is having a positive impact on our business and is enhancing the Starbucks experience for our customers.”
Starbucks locations currently account for a majority of T-Mobile USA’ 4,700 HotSpots, which is the largest deployment in the country and includes Borders Book and Music, FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Centers, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, and select airport and airline club locations.
