McDonald's to offer free Wi-Fi starting in January

Next year could be when free Wi-Fi becomes as ubiquitous as the Dollar Menu thanks to a recent announcement by McDonald's that nearly every Golden Arches location will begin offering free wireless Internet beginning in January. Currently, the service, costs $2.95 for 2 hours of service at 11,000 McDonald's restaurants across the country, but come January it will be as free as the McDonald's PlayPlace playgrounds.

Offering free Wi-Fi is clearly a move to pull in more coffee shop clientele, who would normally search for a Starbucks, Panera and other non-fast-food locations that offer free Wi-Fi in one form or another. Panera and many other coffeehouses offer a free connection to anyone who walks in the door and Starbucks since 2008 has provided free wireless to anyone who makes a purchase once a month.