Sure, Barnes & Noble may not have a deal with Sprint that allows their eBook reader to access the internet anywhere, a la the Kindle, but they have the next best thing. Reports are coming out that Barnes & Noble has signed a deal with AT&T that will allow customers to access free WiFi in store across the nation.

This is apparantly to give customers the access to Barnes & Nobles eBook store which currently has +700,000 titles. Below is a quote from CEO of Barnes & Noble, Steve Riggio, regarding the matter:

Barnes & Noble pioneered the concept of retail stores as community centers. By providing no-fee Wi-Fi access, we are not only meeting our customers’ needs, but extending the sense of community that has always been in our stores. This is a natural progression of our digital strategy to provide customers with more choices in how, when and where they want to read.

Now let’s just see what that Plastic Logic/Barnes & Noble eBook reader looks like.

via Press