Wawa is Offering Free Wi-Fi

Bill the Wi-Fi Guy

Every morning before I step into the office, I make sure to swing by the nearest Wawa to fill up my tank, and grab a fresh brewed coffee. Both things I desperately need to get going in the morning. And now that Wawa announced they are partnering with Comcast to provide free Xfinity Wi-Fi at more than 700 locations, I won’t be in such a rush to get into work. The availability of in-store Wi-Fi is the speed boost I need to check work emails while I sip on my hot coffee and top off my gas tank.

As a major Wi-Fi enthusiast, I’m always excited to see providers expanding free connectivity in stores and businesses across the country. In addition to the Xfinity Wi-Fi available to all Wawa visitors, the Xfinity Wi-Fi network also includes more than 14 million public hotspots that are accessible to every Xfinity Internet customer at no additional charge.

Free Wi-Fi hotspots are great, not just for customers like myself, but also for the businesses that provide the service. According to a Devicescape survey, providing free Wi-Fi for customers increases foot traffic, time spent on premises, and the amount customers spend. Wi-Fi is truly transformational for the in-store customer experience and improves a business’s bottom line. What’s not to love?

But while I’m excited about the expansion of Wi-Fi, I’m also worried about its future. There is no doubt that the unlicensed spectrum that Wi-Fi runs on is becoming more congested and threatened by new technologies that may cause interference and limit its range and reliability. This will only get worse as more devices, businesses, and people get connected every single day.

I hope you’ll join me in working to protect the Wi-Fi we love today and supporting the new use of underutilized unlicensed spectrum for faster, more reliable Wi-Fi in the future.

Sign our petition here.