Free WiFi Abuse Plagues Coffee Shops

Posted on August 13, 2009 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Technology

Why bother to pay for internet if you can just park yourself in your cozy neighborhood coffee shop and surf away for hours on end? At least, this seems to be the philosophy of too many laptop-bearing table-hogs, taking up space in local hotspots without buying so much as a cup of tea.

Coffee shops began offering free WiFi as a service to customers who came in for coffee and a meal or snack while checking email or getting out of the office for a bit. But now they are finding that paying customers can’t find a place to sit amidst the sea of computers, and business is starting to suffer.

Some cafes have started by banning the use of laptops during the lunch rush, or putting a time limit on each table, but such rules can be difficult to enforce. More of them are starting to charge for internet, or at least require customers to buy something before they receive a password.

Large companies like Starbucks only offer free WiFi to AT&T customers and to costumers with a Starbucks card. Otherwise, it’s $3.99 for two hours.

So, if you’ve been sitting and reading for the last half an hour, get up and buy a scone, will you?