Next time you line up for a Big Mac at a McDonald's restaurant, don't be surprised if the server asks, "Would you like Wi-Fi with that?"
McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. Tuesday announced it would be the first major fast-food restaurant in Canada to offer high-speed wireless access to the Internet (called Wi-Fi) for customers with laptop computers or Internet-enabled personal digital assistants.
The move, which McDonald's is pitching as a reward to its patrons, is a way for customers to eat while getting e-mail and surfing the Net.
McDonald's says it will offer complete instructions on how to access the service.
The short-range wireless access technology known as Wi-Fi is increasingly available in coffee houses, hotels and airports, and is being built into laptops and handheld computers.
Canadian customers will receive 45 minutes of free Internet access with a minimum $3 purchase of any menu item at McDonald's restaurants equipped as "hotspots" — places where wireless Internet connection is offered.
The chain says it expects to have as many as 10 hotspots available by the end of the year. Currently, two restaurants are wired, both in the Toronto area: one at 6400 Millcreek Drive in Mississauga, Ont., and the other at 7341 Kingston Rd. in Scarborough, Ont.
The company says the plan is to equip restaurants in Vancouver, including both traditional McDonald's restaurants and its newest concept, McCafé, by the end of the year.
"It's our goal to provide services that help make their lives easier," McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd.'s CEO Bill Johnson said. "Our Wi-Fi service enables them to enjoy a great meal while connecting with their co-workers, friends and family, all without the hassle of dialing in or plugging into a network."
The company is rolling out WiFi at its locations in the United States, too. Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's Corp., which has been offering wireless Web access at 10 restaurants in New York City, said Tuesday it is expanding the pilot program to dozens more restaurants spanning the San Francisco Bay area.
In the pilot program in Manhattan, patrons of the fast-food chain are offered one hour of free high-speed access if they buy a combination meal. After the hour is up, customers can pay $3 (U.S.) for another hour on-line.
McDonald's Canada has contracted with KnowledgeWorx Inc. to provide the technology for the Wi-Fi access. The network will allow all wireless-enabled laptop customers to use the connection.
