Free Wi-Fi: From burger chains to public parks and dentists

Computerworld - The Krystal Co., which operates 425 restaurants in the Southeast, has announced plans to add free Wi-Fi service to the menu in 52 of its outlets by the end of this month. After that, it will evaluate the service's success and decide whether to expand it further.
Krystal, famed for its square hamburgers, joins a booming free Wi-Fi market in the U.S. and Canada, which includes outlets ranging from bookstores to coffee shops, airports and even a dentist's office in Ontario.
Fred Exum Jr., CEO of Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Krystal, said the company views high-speed wireless Internet access as a way to attract and retain customers. And he believes that providing free access -- instead of the paid service offered by McDonald's Corp. -- will put less pressure on his restaurant staff and managers.
"We're in the hamburger business," Exum said, "and if I had paid access, my managers would have to help customers with their [Wi-Fi] configuration." Free access is better, he said, because Wi-Fi-equipped notebooks and handheld devices are much easier to configure -- and Exum believes paid plans are doomed anyway.
"This [Wi-Fi access] is not going to last long on pay," he said.
Jim Sullivan, a Pebble Beach, Calif.-based Web site designer and operator who runs the Wi-Fi Free Spot Web site, said both the paid and free models will survive, with the growth of free service "steady" over the past 18 months. Sullivan said he adds about 30 free hot spots a week to his site, most of them operated by stand-alone establishments, primarily in the U.S. and Canada.
The site currently lists about 2,200 free Wi-Fi hot spots, with links to chains such as free Wi-Fi pioneer Schlotzsky's Inc. in Austin and Panera Bread Co. in Richmond Heights, Mo. (see story).
Since he doesn't list all chain restaurant or hotel sites individually -- and hasnt identified all free Wi-Fi sites -- Sullivan said the total number of free sites is likely "much higher" than what he has listed. Sullivan's list includes a dental office in Mississauga, Ontario, which was added to his directory today. The dentist, Dr. Neil J. Gajjar, said he decided to offer the service so business clients could check their e-mail while "their kids are getting their teeth cleaned" or waiting for their own appointment.

David Reid, Krystal's CIO, said the company can add free Wi-Fi service "without a huge capital investment" because it piggybacks on a wired high-speed network infrastructure installed in all its stores, typically DSL or cable modem service