AT&T's Free Wi-Fi Hotspot Access for iPhones Finally Announced?

[ravenvii]

Remember the brief Wi-Fi access for the iPhone at Barnes & Noble and other places that was taken down after a short time?

AT&T finally officially announced free Wi-Fi for iPhone users.

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/internet/wifi.jsp

(scroll a little down the page)

[dukebound85]

how does that work? can regular laptops use it too if its just wifi? or ipod touches? how does att make sure its iphones getting the wifi?

[dlamin517]

might have to type your phone number in when you connect.

[ravenvii]

Originally Posted by dlamin517

might have to type your phone number in when you connect.

Yeah, that was how it worked before.

[HawaiiMacAddict]

Aloha dukebound85,

They may also be able to check your MAC address.

HawaiiMacAddict

[gilbertgilbert]

Originally Posted by dukebound85

how does that work? can regular laptops use it too if its just wifi? or ipod touches? how does att make sure its iphones getting the wifi?

im assuming that you'll possibly have to download some sort of app from the app store. since iphones/ipod touches will be the only platforms to run this sort of thing

[soLoredd]

I don't get it. I've been using a free AT&T wi-fi hotspot in Emeryville, California for awhile now. If gives me several options to login including my DSL account or my phone number. Maybe it was a test program or something. Anywho, it's slower than a Mac syncing to MobileMe...

[donga]

if you have to type in your number isn't that just an iphone thing then? and not ipod touch

[alexmarchuk]

Originally Posted by donga

if you have to type in your number isn't that just an iphone thing then? and not ipod touch

Yes, and that's the way it should be. There is no reason why AT&T would give you free Wi-Fi for your iPod touch.

iPod touch ≠ iPhone

That's why you have to pay for your updates, muahaha

[MacRumors]

iPhoneAlley notes that AT&T has once again posted information on their website indicating that all iPhone customers have free access to their more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots access across the U.S., including Starbucks locations:

AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi hotspot network with more than 17,000 hotspots, including Starbucks*. Now users can relax and access music, e-mail and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their favorite location.

AT&T provides an online tool to find a Wi-Fi spot near you.

We had first reported on this topic back in April when AT&T had turned the feature on at hotspot locations across the U.S. This was quickly disabled just a few days later. Another week after that, AT&T advertised the new feature on their iPhone website, and again quickly removed it. When the service was active, AT&T simply required you to enter your current iPhone phone number as authentication.

There was some speculation that the delay was due to the fact that they had not yet completed their Wi-Fi deployment at Starbucks. AT&T had won the Starbucks contract from T-Mobile in February and is already offering free Wi-Fi access for their DSL and business customers.



Article Link

[DMann]

Now we're talking!

[neutrino23]

WiFi is so much faster than Edge. I wonder if they will be rolling out WiFi even in airport locations?

[ravenvii]

Aw man, I beat you by a hour, and you didn't use my thread!

[arn]

Originally Posted by ravenvii

Aw man, I beat you by a hour, and you didn't use my thread!

Please use the Submit form next time:

http://www.macrumors.com/site.php?mode=submit

arn

[big_malk]

Apple should offer free access to any of their hot-spot deals to any international iPhone user, that would be a great deal for business men who travel a lot, wouldn't it? And I don't expect there would be that many of them that the providers would loose out a whole lot.

With just O2 and AT&T they could claim access to 14,500 WiFi hot spots across two continents, plus however many there are in the other countries!

[Shasterball]

Originally Posted by neutrino23

WiFi is so much faster than Edge. I wonder if they will be rolling out WiFi even in airport locations?

Looks like they are.

[jplan2008]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

that AT&T has once again posted information on their website indicating that all iPhone customers have free access to their more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots access across the U.S., including Starbucks locations:

That link just brings me to AT&T's wireless site map -- I don't see anything about WiFi sites/iPhone/etc. (same thing if I go from iPhone Alley's link. Am I missing something on that page or have they taken it down again? Doing a search for "WiFi iPhone" on AT&T's site gives results that all lead back to the site map.

[gcmexico]

anyone try it in NYC yet?

[nanoakron]

Just FYI UK iPhone users - don't forget that we also get free wi-fi from BT OpenZone hotspots.

Try your local Cafe Nero.

[scotty56]

Finally..Geeze

[lodenmuse]

This is a bogus "announcement." I can't get through the attwifi log-in page. So far, nothing 'just works' with 'the new at&t.'

(First post with my iPhone 3G. 7/11: 6 hours in line, then 5 hours with the best Apple Creative in the world. Thanks, Derek!)

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by lodenmuse

This is a bogus "announcement." I can't get through the attwifi log-in page. So far, nothing 'just works' with 'the new at&t.'

The announcement posting was an error, again. Unbelievable. AT&T has clarified indicating that they have no announcements at this time regarding iPhone Wifi service. (The Macrumors article has already been updated).

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-999...l?tag=nefd.top

Originally Posted by C|Net

But Wes Warnock, an AT&T spokesman, told CNET News that the notice was published in error.

"We have not made any announcement regarding free Wi-Fi and iPhone," he said in an e-mail. "The Web page was posted in error and is being removed."

[mustang_dvs]

This seems to be a disturbing trend for AT&T -- the right hand has no idea what the left foot is doing, leaving customers, who'd otherwise be eager users, left to scratch their heads in confusion, wondering about the company's ability to make wise decisions.

[wizard]

Just stopped in a McDs with my brand new 3G and no WiFi!!!!!

Oh well this phone is a blast.


Dave

[minik]

AT&T made a mistake? again? This really sums it up.