AT&T Free iPhone Wifi On Hold for Now

[MacRumors]

CrunchGear posts an internal AT&T memo that was sent out today revealing that the free iPhone Wifi was supposed to be launched today. Unfortunately, the launch has been canceled for unclear reasons:

“The iPhone Wi-Fi offer that was scheduled to launch today has been canceled. Nothing has been announced by the company to our customers and will not impact existing customers. Additional communication will be provided if the status the project changes.”

AT&T still intends to offer this service as noted by the NYTimes last week, but the timeframe is unknown.


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[mkrishnan]

Wow... just wow. AT&T cannot seem to catch a break on this one. I'm sure the media will enjoy this.

[Sirobin]

I wonder why they cancelled it? Regardless, this isn't going to look good for them.

[Rojo]

What was special about today that they had planned to release it now?

And why did we have it temporarily, a couple of weeks ago, only for it to be taken away so quickly?

The whole thing just seems really weird. The set-up seems to be all there, so what are they waiting for? To tie the announcement with something else? The 3G iPhone seemed like a possibility (even though it doesn't require a 3G phone to use it), but that's too far away.

I WANT MY FREE WI-FI!!

I guess I waited this long, I can wait a bit longer.
But still... something's weird about all of this.

[Diode]

Originally Posted by Sirobin

I wonder why they cancelled it? Regardless, this isn't going to look good for them.

I'm taking a wild guess Steve wants to announce it at his keynote.

I have a feeling that was the original intention but a communication breakdown caused a early leak.

[ArtOfWarfare]

They could just be waiting for other stores to get it all set up...

or maybe Apple/Steve Jobs has decided they're going to make a surprise announcement including this at WWDC. (Like... starting today, Starbucks offers free WiFi to all iPhone/iPod Touch users... and so does Brookstone, and Olive Garden, and Dunken Donuts, and Best Buy, and iMax theaters, and (well, I'm just making this all up as I go along... you get the idea though... a bunch of other companies may have decided they want to get some wi-fi set up too to attract customers.) And of course the Apple stores have always offered free wi-fi.

[Peel]

I'm guessing it was postponed as AT&T tries to find a work around that will stop the people who were getting free Wi-Fi from their laptops by using Safari and changing the device type in development mode.

[Lumi]

Originally Posted by Peel

I'm guessing it was postponed as AT&T tries to find a work around that will stop the people who were getting free Wi-Fi from their laptops by using Safari and changing the device type in development mode.

I'm inclined to think the same, it would tear away some of their revenue if you didn't have to get a seperate wi-fi subscription for your laptop.

[7on]

Originally Posted by Lumi

I'm inclined to think the same, it would tear away some of their revenue if you didn't have to get a seperate wi-fi subscription for your laptop.

Just log in with your mobile number and a password like everyother company has done in the past.

[killmoms]

Originally Posted by 7on

Just log in with your mobile number and a password like everyother company has done in the past.

I believe you had to do that anyway. Well, no password, just a mobile number. I guess some enterprising individual could fake their browser ID and use the phone number of an iPhone-toting friend... but that seems a lot of trouble to go to for a little free WiFi. Then agan, stranger things have happened...

I hope they still go ahead with this. Nothing more annoying than being an AT&T customer, owning an iPhone, and being in an airport with AT&T WiFi access points and still have to pay for the "privilege."

[megfilmworks]

Originally Posted by killmoms

I hope they still go ahead with this. Nothing more annoying than being an AT&T customer, owning an iPhone, and being in an airport with AT&T WiFi access points and still have to pay for the "privilege."

Amen.

[DeeGee48]

I went into an AT&T store today in Philadelphia. Not a company-owned one, but a franchise. Talking to the clerk, the iPhone naturally came up. I said I was anxiously waiting for the 3G version in June. He said "June 2009". I said no, next month. He said again "No, June 2009. Not until then". I said "You gotta be kidding me. All the hype is about WWDC and a June 9th announcement. And they are also to be deployed in Europe. Besides I already use an AT&T Samsung Sync with 3G!". He maintained I was wrong still. I think he's crazy. Just thought you'd like to know!

[RobUM]

Originally Posted by DeeGee48

I went into an AT&T store today in Philadelphia. Not a company-owned one, but a franchise. Talking to the clerk, the iPhone naturally came up. I said I was anxiously waiting for the 3G version in June. He said "June 2009". I said no, next month. He said again "No, June 2009. Not until then". I said "You gotta be kidding me. All the hype is about WWDC and a June 9th announcement. And they are also to be deployed in Europe. Besides I already use an AT&T Samsung Sync with 3G!". He maintained I was wrong still. I think he's crazy. Just thought you'd like to know!

That guy is definitely wrong... My cousin (who is an Apple employee) strongly believes it will be June 9 (2008)...then again, she knows just about as much as we do..

[macwall]

I wouldn't be surprised if it really took that long. At&t is obviously very good at delaying promised services.

[Teh Don Ditty]

Apple would be heavily criticized for not including 3G in the upcoming version of the iPhone. Besides, every other country seems to have a far superior 3G network. Why wouldn't they not want to cash in on that?

3G iPhone will be launched this June.

[Doctor Q]

They can't make up their minds? Technical glitches? Contract issues?

What's going on?

[EricNau]

I'm still expecting a release/announcement at WWDC.

[eddietr]

Originally Posted by Peel

I'm guessing it was postponed as AT&T tries to find a work around that will stop the people who were getting free Wi-Fi from their laptops by using Safari and changing the device type in development mode.

Bingo. I think this is the real issue.

[Azurael]

Yep. They'll probably have to build a database of iPhone WiFi MAC addresses now.

[Shasterball]

This wifi program drops in and out more than my MacBook Pro...

[guzhogi]

While I'd like free Wi-Fi, the cynic/pessimist in me wonders why AT&T even does it. They're a for-profit organization, why not charge for it, regardless of who you are? You may be paying to use their cell/EDGE network, but not necessarily for their Wi-Fi network. They may view these Wi-fi access points as an additional service to you, not included in your existing service, therefore you should pay for it. </pessimism>

I can understand them blocking out people who don't have an iPhone, but come on. Sometimes the consumer wants too much for nothing.

[Azurael]

Nope, actually, it probably costs them less to transfer your traffic by WiFi than by EDGE once the infrastructure is in place, so as a greedy for-profit company, they still win out of giving you free WiFi.

[nodogrules]

Originally Posted by guzhogi

While I'd like free Wi-Fi, the cynic/pessimist in me wonders why AT&T even does it. They're a for-profit organization, why not charge for it, regardless of who you are? You may be paying to use their cell/EDGE network, but not necessarily for their Wi-Fi network. They may view these Wi-fi access points as an additional service to you, not included in your existing service, therefore you should pay for it. </pessimism>

I can understand them blocking out people who don't have an iPhone, but come on. Sometimes the consumer wants too much for nothing.

My guess is that ATT will lose its iphone exclusivity at WWDC and this is a way for ATT to still draw customers to their network if they are no longer forced onto ATT if they want an iphone.

[MHerstand]

Originally Posted by killmoms

I guess some enterprising individual could fake their browser ID and use the phone number of an iPhone-toting friend... but that seems a lot of trouble to go to for a little free WiFi. Then agan, stranger things have happened...

This was talked about when it first accidentally came out. It takes three clicks and about two seconds. In Safari, go to the menu Develop --> User Agent --> iPhone. Everyone would be posting iPhone numbers online and 95% of people would be using AT&T wifi for free everyday. Without changing their entire system, they are setting themselves up for never getting revenue from wifi.

[stagi]

Originally Posted by MHerstand

This was talked about when it first accidentally came out. It takes three clicks and about two seconds. In Safari, go to the menu Develop --> User Agent --> iPhone. Everyone would be posting iPhone numbers online and 95% of people would be using AT&T wifi for free everyday. Without changing their entire system, they are setting themselves up for never getting revenue from wifi.

I don't think the average consumer would know how to do this. Maybe the macrumors.com people would but the normal consumer I don't think even knows how to get the develop menu in safari (by default this isn't an option, in my safari I don't have this tab, I have to turn it on in the prefs) I hope they are just waiting to get this ready in all stores.