Who would have thought that McDonald’s would emerge as a leader of the free world?

The fast-food chain plans to offer free WiFi networking at all its 1,200 outlets from December, making it the largest provider of free wireless connections in the UK.

It was only a matter of time before WiFi services would no longer be chargeable. Many paid-for municipal wireless networks are struggling for customers. The UK may be at the top of the hotspot league tables, but it’s mainly the province of business people using corporate services ­ the number of paying consumers is limited.

Whatever you think of McDonald’s ­or having to sit surrounded by screaming kids with their party meals just to get free internet access ­ the principle is exactly what mobile computing in the UK needs.

WiFi will become a commodity service because the value to individuals of wireless web connectivity is too low. Can you really not wait an hour or two until you get home to check your Facebook page?

The major mobile phone networks have tried to crack the data market for years without achieving much. Mobile web downloads are on the increase, but as more phones have WiFi connectivity built in, so teenagers will be tempted to pop into their local burger bar for free internet access instead of using 3G ­ or so McDonald’s hopes.

The most enterprising response from a mobile network operator would be to offer free data connectivity ­ regardless of the networking technology used.

Straightaway, the mobile would become the roaming web access device of choice for everyone. All the operator needs to do is make sure its mobile portal is the default home page and then watch the money roll in from selling services such as downloads.

Are there any such enterprising mobile operators in the UK? I’m not so sure.
But free is the future for a growing range of technologies. Google, Yahoo, Adobe and IBM are all taking on Microsoft Office by offering free online word processing and spreadsheets. The most mature free market is webmail, where providers compete on the basis of how much stuff they give away free.

The future of computing is mobile and increasingly web-based. The winners will be the companies that solve the conundrum of making money from being free.