Debunking Dave: McDonalds and Wi-Fi


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I’m not going to venture a guess on most of Dave Winer’s 2005 predictions. I agree with some and disagree with others. I am however going to debunk his prediction #12:

12. There will be a wifi signal at the top of the Empire State Building and in every truck stop in the US. Also in every Best Buy. McDonald’s won’t embrace the Internet.

I had Wi-Fi in a Palo Alto McDonalds over a year ago. It was during their initial launch period, so I didn’t even pay for it, they handed me a coupon for free access when I inquired how much the service was and how I could pay for it and log on.

Of course this McDonalds is across the street from the original Frys in the heart of Silicon Valley. Maybe that was a bad example.

Let’s look at the big picture then. McDonalds Wireless Site is down for maintenece right now “to help you find Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s more quickly and easily.” I intepret that to mean that they just can’t keep up with the addition of new locations and need to revamp their site. The original site was just a bit map of the US with little blips in Chicago, New York, and a few other cities.

If you head on over to the Wayport locations page, you’ll count some 40 or so states that have Wi-Fi McDonalds locations. I did a quick check on Maryland and found 13 locations with Wi-Fi statewide. There are 3 in Baltimore. The one down the street has wireless. There are 9 other Wi-Fi McDonalds locations throughout the state, though they are mostly in urban and suburban areas. What about other states? Texas has over 100. California has more than I’m willing to count.

I think it’s a little too late to say that McDonalds won’t embrace Wi-Fi and the wireless internet. They already have.

Comments

20 responses to “Debunking Dave: McDonalds and Wi-Fi”

  1. Jim Ley Avatar

    There’s also plenty of wifi in McDonalds in the UK too, even the little McDonalds in my small home town offers it.

    If you look here, you’ll see the location of lots:
    http://www.hotspot-hotel.com/site/ext_search_frames.php?external_search=1&operator=6&search=McDonalds

  2. Seyed Razavi Avatar

    Erm, no offence but why bother? Dave is always talking shit and unless you’re playing some traffic boosting ploy (in which case good on you!) I just don’t get it.

  3. Seyed Razavi Avatar

    Er, scratch my last comment… didn’t mean to sound so arsey. Soz.

  4. Shai Avatar
    Shai

    Israeli McDonalds branches have WiFi too, and its not as common around here as it is in the US.

  5. Mike Crutchfield Avatar
    Mike Crutchfield

    Just saw a news story today. Wayport just reached 6,300 WiFi hot-spots, is adding them at break-neck speed, and plans to have 10,000 hot-spots, 6,000 of which will be in US McDonalds, but 3rd Quarter 05. BTW – They now have more hotspots than T-Mobile.

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