AT&T, Starbucks, T-Mobile call truce on free Wi-Fi
updated 01:45 pm EDT, Wed June 11, 2008
ATT and T-Mo Wi-Fi Truce
AT&T and Starbucks today said they have struck an agreement with T-Mobile that puts an end to a short-lived lawsuit by the latter over Starbucks' Wi-Fi service. The three parties have come to a "memorandum of understanding" that will both halt the case as well as continue wireless access at US coffee shops. Terms for the deal remain private and don't reveal any change in the pace of the transition from T-Mobile to AT&T for Starbucks Wi-Fi, which began in April after an announcement in February that AT&T had won the rights to handle Starbucks' Internet service.
T-Mobile's suit was filed just last week and accuses both AT&T and Starbucks of exploiting T-Mobile's Starbucks network to their own advantage, promoting AT&T's Wi-Fi at locations that are still run on T-Mobile's platform while the AT&T rollout itself was still small.
AT&T has aggressively promoted its Wi-Fi service and last month began offering free access to all PC card users subscribted to its LaptopConnect service. The carrier has also promised to support Wi-Fi capable phones and at one time was offering iPhone Wi-Fi until it was abruptly canceled, prompting speculation over a premature debut.
