Starbucks WIFI Access from Bell

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Bell Canada and Starbucks Canada now have Wi-Fi service that will allow Starbucks customers to conveniently access e-mail or the Internet while enjoying their favourite coffee beverage. Company-operated Starbucks coffeehouses across Canada will offer Wi-Fi Internet access beginning with an Ontario rollout this week.

The demand for this service is confirmed by the latest edition of the Bell Canada Consumer Survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid, which reveals that the number of Canadian wireless Internet users is expected to more than double over the next year - from 18 per cent of Canadians today to 40 per cent in 2006. Starbucks Wi-Fi service features easy-to-use high-speed connectivity, a uniform log-in process, and the ability to bill usage to regular monthly carrier statements or a credit card. The service will now be available to customers at company-operated Starbucks coffeehouses in Ontario.

Starbucks and Bell will soon introduce Wi-Fi service at coffeehouses in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Over the next year, the companies plan to bring wireless hotspots to more than 400 Canadian Starbucks locations. The partnership with Starbucks is a continuation of Bell's commitment to build a hotspot network in conjunction with Canadian businesses, coast to coast.