WAYPORT POWERS McDONALD'S U.S. WI-FI SERVICES


Austin, TX and Oak Brook, IL - April 19, 2004 /Wi-Fi Technology News/- McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) has chosen Wayport, Inc. as its provider of high-speed broadband connectivity and Wi-Fi (wireless) 802.11b/g high-speed Internet service in the U.S., giving customers another great reason to connect with the Golden Arches.

After testing through a pilot program, McDonald's selected Wayport as its Wi-Fi provider for its outstanding performance of its carrier grade high-speed Internet solution and 24/7 customer care in the San Francisco/San Jose, Portland, Boise and Raleigh markets. During the pilot program, Wayport and McDonald's generated interest from customers ranging from mobile professionals to soccer moms and students. Survey feedback showed that these customers took advantage of Wi-Fi at McDonald's because of the accessibility of the restaurants and due to Wayport's user-friendly and secure Wi-Fi experience through network support for VPNs and personal firewalls.

McDonald's and Wayport are already converting hundreds of existing pilot locations in Seattle, Chicago and New York over to Wayport service with more announcements regarding additional markets to follow in the coming months.

"We are extending McDonald's rich history of offering our customers quality food and service, convenience and value that is relevant to their daily lives by adding Wayport's Wi-Fi service across the U.S.," said Jim Sappington, McDonald's Vice President of U.S. Information Technology. "We want the Golden Arches to be the first choice for a great meal and wireless Internet access."

Participating wireless-enabled restaurants are listed on www.mcdwireless.com and www.wayport.net. McDonald's customers can also identify participating restaurants by signage that displays the Golden Arches in the universal Internet @ symbol. Walk-up customers can pay $2.95 for a two-hour wireless Internet connection, with other pricing options available from Wayport including a $29.95/month unlimited use plan across the entire Wayport network. Service options available via roaming partners will be announced soon. McDonald's Wi-Fi customers will also enjoy customized content, including free digital versions of USA Today, New York Times and BusinessWeek.

"Wayport's neutral host strategy and relationship with McDonald's will deliver on the promise of making Wi-Fi ubiquitous and accessible to millions of customers who need to stay connected and productive when traveling locally, regionally or nationally," said Dave Vucina, CEO of Wayport. "The broadband family needs a seamless extension of home and office connectivity, and McDonald's is the perfect venue to meet that need."

Since 1998, Wayport has created the world's largest high-speed Internet network of hotels and airports and deployments continue to expand at a rapid rate. Nearly 5 million customers have already connected to Wayport's service, and the McDonald's deployment will make it even easier for the broadband family to have a high-quality, secure and consistent high-speed Internet experience, when mobile.

About McDonald's Corporation:
McDonald's is the world's leading foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 restaurants serving nearly 46 million people in more than 100 countries each day. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local businessmen and women. More information about McDonald's is available at www.mcdonalds.com; for information about McDonald's wireless initiative, visit http://www.mcdwireless.com.

About Wayport, Inc.:
Wayport is the world's largest provider of high-speed Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) wireless and wired Internet access for business travelers in more than 800 locations, including 700 major hotels, such as Four Seasons, Loews, Wyndham, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, Doubletree and Embassy Suites; Wi-Fi wireless Internet access in six major airports: Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma, San Jose, Austin-Bergstrom, Oakland and Buffalo Niagara; and Wi-Fi service at hundreds of McDonald's and UPS Stores nationwide. At airports, travelers also can take advantage of Wayport's 16 Laptop Lane? airport business centers, which feature private offices with high-speed Internet access and other business services, as well as mobile devices and accessories for sale. To learn more, please visit http://www.wayport.net.

Contact Information:

For McDonald's Corporation:
Lisa Howard
McDonald's Corporation
(630) 623-5044
lisa.howard@mcd.com

For Wayport:
Amy Shields
GCI Group Public Relations
(512) 542-2839
ashields@gcigroup.com