McDonald's offers 'wi-fi' with fries

First it came to coffee shops, then pubs. Now McDonald's has stepped into the fray.

London is in the throes of a "wi-fi" war, as retailers race to offer high-speed wireless internet access to customers so they can surf the net and check their emails while they eat and drink.

Hundreds of pubs and cafes have installed wi-fi "hotspots" in the past six months to allow their customers to stay in touch while they are on the move.

Today, high-street giant McDonald's announced it has entered into partnership with BT to put wireless internet access into 500 of its restaurants.

The idea behind wi-fi is simple - it allows laptop owners to use the internet without the need to plug their computers into a phone line. Owners simply need either a wi-fi-enabled laptop, or a £35 plug-in wi-fi card for older laptops.

Once in range of the hotspot, users can log into the service to begin surfing at high speed.

Hourly charges are made for the service, although some hotspots are free or offer monthly subscriptions. Several companies already offer wi-fi hotspots in Britain. Starbucks was one of the first to test the systems, with Costa Coffee and hotel chains such as Hilton and Holiday Inn also offering the service.

Meanwhile, the Government has pledged to install wi-fi in every library, and many London pubs already have the technology, allowing the long-held dream of being able to work from the pub to come true.

Louise Ballard works in PR, and has been using wi-fi hotspots for several months. "If I'm out and about, it's really handy to be able to go into a coffee shop or a pub between meetings and spend half an hour sorting out my email.

"It's also great to have high-speed access - it's like being in the office.

"I also find it's a great global phenomenon. Because of my job I'm in Vienna and Munich quite a lot, and

I've used it there as well with no problems."

However, Ms Ballard warns that pricing for the hotspots can be high. "I think that in Vienna, for instance, this is free. But prices here are pretty steep."

Although prices vary between hotspot providers, about £6 per hour is the average.

Laura Reid is the manager of The Broadgate Exchange, a Liverpool Street pub that installed wi-fi for its customers a few weeks ago.

She said: "We are already seeing some regular users. I think our location is perfect, we are next to a station in the heart of the City, so a lot of people hold their meetings here anyway."

She added: "It is important to educate the users and we have started advertising a bit. However, we hope in the long run this will attract more people, and that they'll stay longer."