Call it McWi-Fi.

McDonald's -- the fast-food chain known for the Big Mac and Chicken McNuggets -- today announced that it plans to start offering free wireless Internet service at about 11,000 of its 14,000 U.S. locations beginning next month, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal. "We're becoming a destination and free wi-fi just naturally fits," McDonald's Chief Information Officer David Grooms told the Journal.

McDonald's operates more than two dozen locations throughout the Seattle area, and its decision to drop a $2.95 fee on wireless Internet access certainly will be greeted warmly by those looking for a place to easily connect to the Internet.

The move also will be closely watched by another major retailing powerhouse: Starbucks Coffee.

McDonald's has been aggressively targeting the market of the Seattle-based coffee chain over the past year, launching its own line of McCafe coffee drinks. The latest free Wi-Fi initiative could be seen as bigger assault on Starbucks.

Starbucks offers Wi-Fi at its locations. However, the cost structure is not the most intuitive. The service is free for those Starbucks customers who register a Starbucks Card and use it at least once a month. It is also free for AT&T's DSL customers. For everyone else, it costs $3.99 for a two hour period.

McDonald's said it will offer unlimited Internet access to customers. So next time you are stuck without a Wi-Fi connection, you may need only follow the path to the golden arches.

Seattle has no shortage of free Wi-Fi hotspots, and some of our favorites are the small independent coffee shops dotted around the city. However, we do still occasionally struggle to find a reliable connection.

Where do you prefer to go for your wireless Internet needs: Starbucks, McDonald's or the independent coffee shop?

John Cook is co-founder of TechFlash. Follow on Twitter @johnhcook.