[SBC brings its FreedomLink Wi-Fi service to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores in California, Nevada and Arizona.]

SBC Communications announced that the SBC FreedomLink Wi-Fi service will be made available in 144 locations throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the nation's largest and oldest privately held chain of specialty coffee and tea stores.

The SBC Wi-Fi network is one of the nation's largest Wi-Fi networks with the service available in more than 5,000 hot spots, growing to an estimated 20,000 by the end of 2006. The service will enable The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf customers to use their laptop computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) to communicate online, surf the Internet and connect to corporate networks at speeds 50 to 100 times as fast as a dial-up connection, all from the comfort of the coffee house.

The companies expect FreedomLink service to be available in select The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations by the end of the year, with all 144 locations completed in early 2005.

FreedomLink memberships are available for $19.95 a month and provide unlimited access to all SBC Wi-Fi hot spots and discounted rates in roaming locations. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf customers who want walk-up access can purchase a FreedomLink session for $3.95 and receive unlimited access for two hours. SBC DSL customers are able to use the FreedomLink service at no charge until April 15, 2005. After this introductory period, the price will be $1.99 a month with a one-year term commitment for customers who choose to sign up for the service.

FreedomLink customers can use Wi-Fi service in select McDonald's restaurants, Barnes & Noble bookstores, The UPS Store (TM) and Mail Boxes Etc. locations, Caribou Coffee shops, airports, hotels, convention centers, restaurants, state parks, rest stops and welcome centers.

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