Tags: Wi-Fi, Google, Internet
Publication: NewsCNET.com
Publication Date: 07/31/2013

Image credit: Starbucks

Thanks to a new partnership with Google, Starbucks customers will have access to faster Wi-Fi speeds. Google, alongside Level 3 Communications, will provide Wi-Fi service in Starbucks’ U.S. locations, offering speeds up to 10 times faster than the current service powered by AT&T.

The coffee shops are currently connected with a T1 line for 1.5 megabit speeds. Google and Level 3 will improve the system in every location to provide almost 10 times faster speeds, with results varying from store to store.

The transition will begin with new Starbucks locations over the next month. Starbucks will then introduce it to its 7,000 other U.S. stores, starting with locations where Wi-Fi usage is highest. The company expects to complete the transition in about 18 months.

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