Starbucks to offer free Wi-Fi at all company-operated stores

Seattle Starbucks Corp. will begin offering unlimited free Wi-Fi at all of its company-operated U.S. locations next month. The move is part of an ongoing effort to lure more customers in the door.

The free wireless Internet will be available July 1 at about 6,700 locations.

The company, which recorded its first quarterly increase in customers in 13 quarters earlier this year, had previously offered two free hours of Web access each day to registered customers. After that, consumers were charged a small fee.

Access will continue to be offered through AT&T. But it won't require a Starbucks loyalty card, the company said.

Starbucks also said customers will get free access to certain online content through its Wi-Fi this fall. Called the Starbucks Digital Network, the program will give Starbucks Web surfers free access to paid sites such as the Wall Street Journal, along with exclusive content and free downloads from other organizations such as Apple's iTunes and The New York Times.