Facebook Announces Free Wi-Fi Program

Facebook announced a new Wi-Fi program in collaboration with networking giant Cisco. The initiative is called "Cisco Connected Mobile Experience with Facebook Wi-Fi," a long-winded name for a bundle of services and router equipment that's being tested by several businesses, including two restaurants in the Bonefish Grill chain.

The program, supposedly benefits both merchants and Facebook. Facebook receives data about what businesses its users visit, and merchants "get a better handle on the types of people who visit their stores. So, merchants are likely to use the added layers of data to help find larger groups of people to target via Facebook ads."

Here's what the two companies said in a the announcement of the new service:

"Consumers connect to the network of a participating business, open their browser on any mobile device or laptop, and a Facebook check-in page appears. After checking in, consumers are directed to the business' Facebook Page, where they can receive the latest information about the venue. Facebook provides aggregated anonymous insights about people's activity on their Page, including demographics such as age, gender, and city. Businesses can analyze this data to better understand their customer's preferences and deliver targeted promotions—ultimately improving their advertising and marketing campaigns."

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