AT&T offers DSL subscribers free Wi-Fi
AT&T DSL subscribers can now get free access to its Wi-Fi hot spots throughout the country.
Subscribers of services that offer download speeds of 3 megabits per second or higher will get access to any of its 10,000 hot spots in airports, coffee shops, McDonald's restaurants and Barnes & Noble bookstores for free, the company said Monday.
Subscribers of AT&T's lower tier service can pay $1.99 for unlimited Wi-Fi access. Non-AT&T subscribers pay $7.99 per day for Wi-Fi access in these public hot spots.
Adding Wi-Fi as part of the total broadband package for DSL subscribers fits in well with AT&T's overall strategy of allowing people to connect to the Internet anywhere, using any device.
The bulk of AT&T's wireless efforts have been in expanding its 2.5G and 3G cellular networks. But the company also sees a place for Wi-Fi. In fact, AT&T is actually building a municipal Wi-Fi network in Springfield, Ill. And it's a contender to build a similar network in Chicago.
But unlike competitor T-Mobile, AT&T doesn't seem to have plans to use Wi-Fi to carry voice traffic. Earlier this month, T-Mobile, the smallest of the major wireless operators in the U.S., announced it is offering a dual mode Wi-Fi/cellular service throughout the country. This service essentially enables people to switch between a Wi-Fi and cellular network while they're talking on the phone.
Instead of a replacement for its voice network, AT&T seems to see Wi-Fi as a way to provide fast Internet surfing to people on the go. A perfect example of this strategy is the new Apple iPhone, which only operates on AT&T's 2.5G cellular network that offers data downloads that peak around 200 kilobits per second. But the iPhone also supports Wi-Fi, which allows people who are within range of a Wi-Fi hot spot to surf the mobile Net at true broadband speeds.
Marguerite Reardon has been a CNET News reporter since 2004, covering cell phone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate, as well as the ongoing consolidation of the phone companies. E-mail Maggie. 
(if lower tier DSL users pay just $2.99/month for this, I'd love that option on my iPhone data plan)
advantage of this offer.
Finding information on AT&T's web site can be difficult. Usually you
need to drill down to the moho layer to find for what it is you are
looking. They are not alone in that regard, a lot of big business
web sites suck. I make no secret that I am a Mac user and
unabashed Apple Fan Man, but Apple's web site is mostly very
visitor friendly.
When you connect to the access point, the browser is supposed to default to the login page
- Why is this news, Verizon has had this for years?
- by k2dave July 4, 2007 6:52 AM PDT
- I have been able to access verizon's WiFi spots using my Vz DSL logon for about 2 years, if not longer. What is the big deal here, just AT&T finally caught up?
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- It is news
- by qwerty75 July 4, 2007 9:39 AM PDT
- Because the pseudo-journalists at CNET like to reprint PR releases as news.
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