AT&T Opens Wi-Fi HotSpots to Notebooks
May 21, 2008 | by Geoff Duncan
Customers of AT&T's LaptopConnect mobile broadband service can now tap into AT&T's network of 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots for no additional charge.
AT&T is once again expanding the pool of customers that can connect to the Internet using its network of Wi-Fi hotspots: now customers subscribed to its LaptopConnect mobile broadband offering can use AT&T's network of 17,0000 Wi-Fi hotspots at now additional charge. AT&T operates Wi-Fi hotspots in McDonalds and Starbucks locations, as well as some Barnes & Noble locations and a few airports.
"The combination of the nation's largest wireless and Wi-Fi networks is unbeatable," said AT&T's VP for business and mobility products Michael Woodward, in a statement. "It's the ultimate in mobility for laptops—AT&T's wireless network plus more than 17,000 Wi-Fi locations."
The move marks the second time AT&T has thrown open its Wi-Fi network to existing customers: it also offers free Wi-Fi access at the same locations to many existing residential and business broadband subscribers. AT&T also seems to be getting ready to officially offer Wi-Fi access on its network to owners of Apple iPhones—AT&T is the exclusive iPhone carrier in the United States. The company turned on access for iPhones earlier this month…then turned it off, then announced iPhones would have free Wi-Fi hotspot access, then withdrew that information. Suffice to say—eventually—the company is likely to extend Wi-Fi service to iPhone owners.
AT&T's LaptopConnect mobile broadband service is available for selected Windows notebooks.
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Mark on May 22nd, 2008 at 10:14 AM:
You stated that "AT&T operates Wi-Fi hotspots in McDonalds". That is incorrect. The McDonald's WiFi network is deployed and managed by Wayport. Through roaming agreements between Wayport and their partners, a subscriber to AT&T's WiFi service could access the internet while at a McDonald's.
This is from a recent press release;
WAYPORT SERVICE IN MORE THAN 10,000 McDONALD'S®
Irving, Texas â– Apr 29, 2008- Wayport, Inc. , a provider of converged network solutions to enable breakthrough network applications, announced today it has surpassed the 10,000 location mark in full-store network deployments at McDonald's restaurants in the United States. The services provided to these 10,000 locations (more than 9,300 are public Wi-Fi enabled) include the support for multiple private-side applications, including back office processing and network failover services. This milestone continues McDonald's position as the largest Wi-Fi network in the U.S. under a single brand, and as a leader in their industry with the integration of public and private networks on one platform.