After a couple of false starts, AT&T is finally offering iPhone users along with users of select smart phones free access to its 17,000 WiFi hotspots. As you'll recall back in July, AT&T dangled the free WiFi carrot by posting a Web page promoting free WiFi access for iPhone users at its hotspots. Later that week the Web page was pulled, and AT&T media relations folks said it was a mistake. A similar mistake happened in May. Just hours after posting information that told iPhone users they would receive free access to AT&T's public WiFi hotspots, the company pulled all references to the service from its website.
However, Glenn Fleishman at Wi-Fi Networking News points out that the method for obtaining the free WiFi access is a bit complicated. Users have to joint the network, visit a gateway Web page, enter their cell phone number and wait for a free text message that contains a link to a secure site that activates 24 hours of access. The access is only available at that particular location but users can apparently activate service at as many locations as they want during a single day.
For more:
- see AT&T's web site
- check out Wi-Fi Network News
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