Google is promising Starbucks customers in the U.S. Internet connection 10 times faster than the current speed they enjoy at the coffee shop chain. The speed could even be 100 times faster if the company-operated Starbucks is in a Google Fiber city such as Kansas.

However, the free and faster W-Fi hotspots would be available only within the next 18 months, the tech giant said in a blog post on Wednesday.

Ahead of the announcement, Google had actually started to offer free Wi-Fi access to lucky residents of the Mountain View community who are the neighbours of its California head office. The free and fast Wi-Fi would soon be offered in San Francisco, accessible in public spaces. The planned offering is expected to be completed in April 2014, pending approvals.

Kevin Lo, general manager of Google Access, told Forbes, "Google has always invested in projects that help the Internet grow stronger, including projects that make Internet access more affordable and more widely available. We hope that speedier Internet will make the time customers spend at Starbucks even more enjoyable and productive."

For device owners to check if their location has the free and fast Wi-Fi, they should look for the Google Starbuck network SSID name on their smartphones, tablets and laptops.

AT&T used to be the supplier of Wi-Fi at U.S. Starbucks.

The free and fast Wi-Fi will likely boost sales of Starbucks which had suffered sales decline due to the global financial crisis.

"Every day, our customers rely on free Wi-Fi at Starbucks to study, work, connect with friends or just relax. We want to make sure that they can access the web effortlessly and quickly, no matter what they are doing, or what device they are using. Our goal is to continue to provide our customers with the best in-store experience possible, and we are excited to offer these kinds of unparalleled experiences at a broader scale," Forbes quoted Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman.

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