Dunkin' Donuts edged out Starbucks for coffee shops with fastest WiFi in a recent ranking.
Fewer people probably use the WiFi at Dunkin' Donuts, analysists at PC Mag said in a news release.
Customers at Dunkin' Donuts are not as likely to stay and work on their laptops since the cafes are designed for to-go orders, which may be translating to less web traffic and faster connection speeds.
PCMag used thousands of tests from Speedtest.net from shoppers nationwide using an app on their phones to test connection speed to obtain the rankings, the analysts said in a news release.
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Dunkin Donuts's WiFi topped PC Mag's ranking chart, with Starbucks coming in at third fastest.
McDonald's WiFi speeds compared well with the leading coffee shop Wi-Fi as well, averaging 24.2Mbps download speeds, right in the mix with Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and Peet's Coffee.
In the never-ending battle between the software giants, Microsoft beat Apple for fastest retail store WiFi, with REI, an ourdoors store, coming in at third place. Retailers are facing more pressure to offer faster free WiFi so shoppers can access store apps and compare prices while shopping.
And in a list of department stores, Walmart placed third fastest.
Analysts at PC Mag said Starbucks is committed to the "third place" concept, making each of their coffee shops like another home and part of the community, another place besides between home and work where you belong. WiFi helps companies like Starbucks and other retailers create a coworking space for freelancers and others who need a place to work on projects outside the house or office.
Free WiFi also encourages customers to post photos of their adventures to Instagram, Snapchat and other social media while using less of their mobile data plans.