They're not showing up for the "food"
Upon a recent inspection of who is using their free Wi-Fi, McDonald's discovered that it isn't the business-on-the-go crowd or even the casual web-surfer looking for some hotcakes to chow down while they browse the morning's news. Oh no, in fact the answer might surprise you: it's the gamer. You read that right, apparently gamers (most importantly, DS enthusiasts) account for 25% of the Wi-Fi traffic in their establishments.
As you all know, over 8,000 McDonald's restaurants offer the free Wi-Fi service, but it isn't really even aimed at the customer. David Grooms, vice president of IT at McDonald's USA, says "It gives us a platform to use wireless applications within the restaurant," pointing out wireless headsets and other technology used by the employees of each establishment. Grooms says this will change, though, stating that "getting the word out that we are a secured wireless haven is really big for us this year."
Personally, we're not big fans of McDonald's and usually fight tooth and nail before being dragged into the place, unconscious. But, what about you guys? Do you use their free Wi-Fi for your DS needs?
