On the other hand, if a franchisee insists he has to go above and beyond a brand standard to compete--say, by offering free broadband Internet service or extra pillows--Ledsinger has to know when to say okay. (Chains need to police the impulses to go up market, too, lest their other units suffer by comparison.) The warmth and fuzziness, he hopes, will trickle down.
Now they're talking about new playgrounds, free garbage pick up, broadband internet access.
The emergence of global players, cheap broadband services and free Internet access services are feeding such growth, the market research company added.
Starting this month, Millennium Park began offering free wireless internet to the public, and as part of the initiative the Broadband Challenge all parks and open spaces in Chicago will eventually offer free internet.
ENGADGET: Chicago mayor targets affordable gigabit broadband, free WiFi throughout city parks
Its Net Fone package bundles broadband access, Internet phone service and free-to-air TV channels, and is attracting nearly 30, 000 new customers a month.
British Sky Broadcasting, the U.K.'s No. 1 satellite provider, has just trumpeted an aggressive drive into the country's broadband market by offering the high-speed Internet service free to its existing television customers--but it's paying more for the deal than analysts expected.
British Sky Broadcasting (nyse: BSY - news - people ), the U.K.'s No. 1 satellite provider, has just trumpeted an aggressive drive into the country's broadband market by offering the high-speed Internet service free to its existing television customers--but it's paying more for the deal than analysts expected.
Completing its work this summer, Google started offering free, as well as tiered-price, Internet service that brings broadband to thousands of homes and businesses.
FORBES: The Startup Riding Google's Fiber-Optic Superhighway
Free Internet telephony, advanced wireless data networks and video-over-broadband are already gaining traction and proving how disruptive and powerful a telecom technology can be.
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