Starbucks To Serve Up Free Access To Paywall-Protected Sites

Beginning next month, Starbucks will offer free WiFi access in its shops and, by this coming fall, the company expects to also offer unrestricted access to sites usually protected by paywalls, including WSJ.com, through a service they are calling “Starbucks Digital Network.” Previously, only customers with Starbucks Cards were given WiFi access, and, even then, only in two hour increments.

Besides the Wall Street Journal, Starbuck’s partners in this network include iTunes, the New York Times (which has plans to enact a paywall in the near future), Patch, USA Today, Yahoo and Zagat. The WSJ, NYT and USA Today are all available in (New York-area) Starbucks locations in print as well.

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