"McDonald's views providing Wi-Fi access as a way to sell more meals, not as a way to get into the Internet business." And yet: "The fast-food chain sells an hour of wireless access for $4.95, while a continuous 24-hour connection is $7.95." So, we're going to use this featurea as an additional incentive to get people to buy meals here...and we're going to charge more for it than anybody else does...especially those who give it away for free.
Update: Maybe the charging is a short-term plan? Paul Boutin writes in Wired, "By year's end, when McDonald's makes good on its plan to roll out in-store networks and bundles free access with every Combo Meal, any lingering doubts will be erased. Wi-Fi isn't a luxury or even a commodity. It's a condiment. <via marc>
Update: Maybe the charging is a short-term plan? Paul Boutin writes in Wired, "By year's end, when McDonald's makes good on its plan to roll out in-store networks and bundles free access with every Combo Meal, any lingering doubts will be erased. Wi-Fi isn't a luxury or even a commodity. It's a condiment. <via marc>