AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA Inc. have exchanged lawsuits claiming the other has breached agreements related to the carriers’ providing Wi-Fi access in Starbucks Corp.’s locations across the country.
Earlier this year, Starbucks announced a deal with AT&T Mobility for the carrier to become the Wi-Fi provider for the coffee house. AT&T Mobility would be replacing T-Mobile USA, which has been the provider of the service since its launch. However, this transition was estimated to take up to five years to fully complete, and until markets were converted, T-Mobile USA was to continue as the exclusive Wi-Fi provider and to market their services in those stores.
In an attempt to sabotage this transition, AT&T Mobility claims in a lawsuit filed on June 2 that T-Mobile USA has reneged on a reciprocal Wi-Fi roaming agreement between the two carriers that AT&T Mobility says has led to the degradation of the Wi-Fi service that it provides to its customers.
“Our goal is to ensure Wi-Fi access at Starbucks locations for all of our AT&T subscribers,” an AT&T spokesperson said in a statement. “This includes our qualified high speed Internet and LaptopConnect subscribers, and Starbucks Loyalty Card customers. Today this is a benefit for millions of AT&T subscribers and we have taken steps to ensure that this access will continue.”
T-Mobile USA filed a lawsuit on June 5 stating that a recently launched promotion by Starbucks and AT&T Mobility that provides two free hours per day of Wi-Fi Internet access at Starbucks stores to qualifying Starbucks Loyalty Card members breaks the terms of the transition agreement. T-Mobile USA notes that to take advantage of the two free hours of Wi-Fi, customers have to sign up for AT&T Mobility’s Wi-Fi service offering. T-Mobile USA also states that since it’s still the Wi-Fi provider in 95% of Starbucks stores, those cards being offered by Starbucks and AT&T Mobility would most likely be using T-Mobile USA’s Wi-Fi access.
“Starbucks is giving away something for free that isn’t theirs to give,” a T-Mobile USA representative said, “We provide the service, yet we weren’t consulted.”