Starbucks free (?) wifi needs shot of caffine

When the big gorilla of coffee shop chains rolled out its "free wifi" offer, it appears that many thought the idea was grounds for the perfect arrangement. All that the company requires for two free hours of wifi access every day is to sign up for a $5 rewards card, or register an existing Starbucks gift card. Then, as long as you buy something with the card at least once a month, the two free wifi access hours remain.

So many have signed onto the idea, that many others are finding they can't get in on the deal. On trying to access the Starbucks' Card Rewards web site, some are being turned away by an error message, told to come back later. Starbucks says the problem is not that of AT&T, the wifi provider, but that of their own servers. They say they problem will be fixed soon, and that joe-imbibers will be able to get their daily fix of the internet, too.

¿Tengo Internet?

¿Tengo Internet?

Such a question, phrased in Spanish, would inquire as to the availability of an internet connection. In the Ameicano vernacular, TengoInternet now refers to a growing company that provides internet wifi services to RV parks across the US.

It didn't exactly start out with a boom. In 2002 when TengoInternet founder Eric Stumberg tried hawking wifi services to RV park owners, many found him plumb loco. "It was a very hard sell at the time," he says. "Most of the owners were independent operators. They weren't technically savvy themselves, and they viewed WiFi as a technology versus an amenity. A lot of them were concerned about its obsolescence."

My how the tide has turned. Today Strumberg's company has servers in 300 RV parks, and the money is flowing in: Nearly two and a half million dollars in 2007. What makes the market go? It's those young dollar-bearing folks. Baby boomers are making the RV market grow, and Gen-Xers are seen by many in the industry as a growing salvation. Boomers and Xers have a perfect addiction to the internet, and TengoInternet sees itself as the supplier.

Users typically purchase airtime at a participating RV park. However, visitors to the TengoInternet site can also purchase time online. Rates? They start at $4.95 per day up to $29.95 per month of service. Yep, you can find wifi service free in some cafes--but it won't take long to drink up that much in lattes. For a map of enabled RV parks, visit here.

For more on the rise of TengoInternet, visit bizjournals.