WiFi

            Starbucks and Borders are both T-Mobile hotspot locations. They both fall under the same pricing structure. T-Mobile offers a one day pass to the wireless internet for $9.99. This pass expires 24 hours from ones first log in or 120 days after the pass has been purchased, if not used right away. T-Mobile also offers a pay-as-you-go offer that costs $6.00 for the first 60 minutes and $0.10 for each additional minute. I think that the Day Pass is a great deal if you have a lot of work to do on the internet. If you only need the internet for a short amount of time, I believe the pay-as-you-go offer is not a good deal. A better option would be to go to an internet café.

            One internet café that I found to have great deals is L.A. Cyber Café. At this location, wireless internet is offered for $2.50 for 30 minutes of use. This is a great deal for doing things such as checking your email, checking the weather, paying your bills online, or checking any online accounts one might have. This is not a good deal for people who need to use the internet for long periods of time. Since I only use the internet for basic, quick purposes, I would prefer to use the wireless internet here, that at Starbucks or Borders.

            I found two great locations that offered free internet access. The first is called Gayle’s Perks Coffee Shop. This place is located in Northridge, which is very convenient for me because I live in Northridge. The second location is called It’s A Grind Coffee House. This place is located in Anaheim, which is also a convenient location for me because it is both on my way and on my way home from school. It would be very easy for me to stop by either of these two locations to take advantage of the free internet access.

            I would definitely go to either of these two locations rather than their competitors because they offer free wireless internet access. Since I am a “starving college student” saving money for me is a must. Because of this, and also because these locations are so convenient for me to get to, I would much rather use these locations, than use Starbucks, Borders, or any other competitor.

            Two locations that should offer wireless internet and currently do not are fast food chains and Metrolink stations. I think that fast food chains should offer wireless internet because many people go to fast food restaurants for breakfast and lunch, both which are common times for people to be checking email and web-surfing. I also think that Metrolink stations should offer wireless internet for these that ride the Metro to and from work. This would give them an opportunity to get certain things done while they are waiting for the train.