Barnes & Nobel Will Offer Free Wi-Fi to All

Barnes & Noble stores will soon begin offering free Wi-Fi to all customers. This service will be provided by AT&T.

Free Internet access has been a hallmark of independent bookstores for years, but the industry giants Barnes & Nobel and Borders have both made agreements with wireless phone companies (AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively) to charge for Wi-Fi. Many customers of the wireless carriers got the service for free, though.

Barnes & Nobel is now changing course, and will provide Wi-Fi access to all.

"By providing no-fee Wi-Fi access, we are not only meeting our customers' needs, but extending the sense of community that has always been in our stores," said Steve Riggio, CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc.

At this point, it's not clear exactly when this retailer will begin offering free Internet access in its stores.

Update: Free Wi-Fi service is available now at B&N stores.

More information can be found on this bookstore's website.

Source: AT&T and Barnes & Noble