Following pilot programs with a number of Wi-Fi providers, McDonald’s Corp. selected Wayport Inc. to provide high-speed Internet access for up to 6,000 restaurant locations by the end of this year.
Wayport’s network is already installed in McDonald’s locations in San Francisco and San Jose, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Boise, Idaho; and Raleigh, N.C.; as part of the pilot program. Wayport plans to convert hundreds of additional pilot locations in Seattle, Chicago and New York that were initially using Wi-Fi networks provided by Cometa Networks Inc. and Toshiba.
McDonald’s currently charges customers $3 for two hours of access to the Wi-Fi service or free access with the purchase of value meals. Wayport charges $30 per month for unlimited access across its entire network, which the company said includes more than 800 locations across the country.
