FREE!! Wireless Internet access!

Hi all

Yes, thats right, free wireless internet access and it's UK wide as well !

some of you may already know, Mcdonalds are turning their 1200 restaurant locations UK wide to free access wifi hotspots! they've done away with the pay as you go type business model that's been the norm for public access wifi spots.

I'm definitley impressed by this move - without going into boring IT crap - there's been murmurings of things like this, but always on a limited geographical area - think the free spots in Islington and the Square mile in London - but now, although each hotspot area is small the locations are UK wide - and like it or not, Mcdonalds restuarants are located pretty much to cover a large percentage of the UK population - unfortunatly, once again you country people lose out - but at least when you do venture towards us 'townies' you can check yer email etc - and have a cup of 'shock horror' mcdonalds coffee as you do so!

More crucially, for those US people arriving in the UK and setting up camp at least don't have to worry so much about getting a telephone line installed and then getting an ISP etc - with 20% of the UK adult population owning a device which can connect to public wifi spots (including laptops PDAs and even games consoles) it's an attractive way to be online to get stuff done for free without having to wait the potentially ages to get connected the normal way.

If this had come just a few months ago for a poster called 'Lanwarrior' here on UKY there's a chance he might still be in the UK!

Top points for mcdonalds in announcing this - i've already switched on my points of interest to include mcdonalds locations on my TomTom GPS !

read the official announcement here
http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/pages/companyinfo/freewifi.html

I'll keep me eyes open for other 'deals' for you lot - I do know of one other rather amazing substantial money saver that'd be especially popular I think - I just need to verify its still viable ...   

more on that later!

Cheers for now!
DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Wow, I have to say, I am impressed with this.  We've been on a constant quest for wi-fi while we've been in Edinburgh the last few days, and we've been very happy with how many pubs and cafes offer free wi-fi.  I have access at the office (obviously as I'm always posting!) but DH has been on the lookout during the day.

thanks for the heads up, DM

I have to say that's pretty cool!

Impressive!   

I may enter a McD's for the first time in years!   

We were in Paris last week and my sister wanted to stop for a Big Mac.  There were loads of kids in there with their laptops using the free wi-fi so looks like the ball is already rolling with this!  It is a very good idea, too bad I never eat at McDonald's!

This sure would've helped us when we moved here! There's a Mickey D's just a few blocks away, and we were dying without Net access.

The McDonalds down the street from us had a WiFi sign in their window last week. Very cool!

Shame you have to endure the gross McD smell, but there was always going to be a "cost" somewhere! 

The McDonalds down the street from us had a WiFi sign in their window last week. Very cool!

What sort of range is there for these things? Could I just drive and park and log on without going in?