Dallas-based telecommunications giant AT&T is partnering with fast food chain McDonald’s USA to bring high-speed business fiber internet to 750 restaurants.
The partnership stems from the last two years of changing consumer habits and expectations for restaurants and food service, according to a release. McDonald’s says it hopes the new internet services will help with its app and enable speedy delivery of services like mobile order.
Michael Colaneri, AT&T’s vice president for retail enterprise solutions, said the restaurant experience could be very different in five years.
“High-speed internet is a critical engine for growth and expansion, creativity and innovation and a reimagined consumer experience in the industry,” Colaneri said. “We’re thrilled to work together with McDonald’s to help shape the future of restaurants.”
Christian Sandoval, a McDonald’s USA owner and operator, said the restaurant is a hub for family, friends, school and work. The restaurant wants its customers to see it as a place where customers can bring their mobile devices to connect to WiFi, watch TV or do homework.
“With this expansion, AT&T is focused on providing our customers with a fast, reliable connection and quality internet experience,” Sandoval said in a statement.
In January, AT&T rolled out fiber internet plans to more than 5 million customers in over 70 cities to upgrade to speeds as fast as 5 gigabits per second.
AT&T’s broadband internet service is available to 40% of U.S. households and its faster fiber internet services are available to just a third of those households, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The company says it plans to keep expanding its high-speed fiber offering, aiming to cover 30 million customer locations by the end of 2025.
