Free AT&T WiFi: not just for iPhones anymore
It remains to be seen whether or not AT&T’s recently re-re-re-announced free WiFi for iPhone users offer will actually stick this time. AT&T is basically the boy who cried wolf at this point thanks to a handful of misfires. It looks like we may have to give them the benefit of the doubt this time around however, as AT&T ninjas are now reporting that another handset looks like it will be the recipient of some free WiFi love at AT&T hotspots around the country. That handset – the BlackBerry Bold. Word just came in that launch documentation being delivered to AT&T store managers indeed references the same free WiFi offer for the Bold that has just today been revived for the iPhone. We would imagine this offer will continue to pop up for a variety of 3G handsets moving forward. Why? As generous as it seems on the surface, AT&T may indeed have a few ulterior motives behind handing out free WiFi like it’s going out of style. Reports of network issues have been flowing steadily in recent history and may even be the cause behind certain delayed service releases. Giving customers an incentive to make use of its free WiFi offer is likely an effort to lessen the strain on AT&T’s 3G networks which have sometimes been slowed to GPRS-like speeds in certain areas. It remains to be seen whether or not this new offer will help the matter but in the mean time, let’s hope customers do indeed get some free WiFi with that Bold purchase.
UPDATE: It looks like AT&T’s free WiFi now applies to all smartphones, as was the plan a while back. Will it stick? Who knows… Let us know if the free WiFi deal is working for your non-iPhone.
That is great, but does this mean they might finally release the 8320 in Blue and OS 4.5?
What in the world could be holding that up?
That makes sense, I did have a couple of gprs days here in Indianapolis, IN. But my downloads via tethering are always around 25 KB/s.
I might add something to it, business..what does that mean? AT&T customers going to WiFi hotspots are bound to purchase something at that location…because they have 3G phone already so, why the need for a high speed wireless location if they have the service in hand? especially for a Blackberry?
Why, there was an article about the data band width consumption about a month ago that 1 iPhone = 20 BlackBerrys. So it’s understandable for the iPhone but why the Bold?
Interesting article though..
T-Mobile will also be doing this for all those who subscribe to their BIS starting in November.
They already do it for customers who subscribe to their Total Internet Service package @ $20 per month with a qualifying voice plan.
Good. Literally within weeks of the iPhone 3G coming out, ATT’s 3G network in L.A. metro became slower than EDGE. And it has never sped up again since. I’ve gotten to the point I rarely even browse any sites or check email from my phone any more because its infuriatingly slow. Glad ATT sucks up all that iPhone profit and reinvests $0.00 back into their network to cover the load.
I can’t wait until T-Mobile’s 3G network is more widespread, I will be switching for sure. AT&T FOR THE LOSE.
Works nicely on my bold here at starbucks
I hate AT&T and really want to go back to T-mobile…. total ripoff for what I already had 25 dollars cheaper a month….
The Bold will indeed autoconnect to AT&T WiFi hotspots…unless your BES administrator diables it via a policy.
There goes ANY chance of ever seeing tethering for the iPhone. Another reason to hate Starbucks.
Damn.
does anyone have an idea about pricing? first of all, the pricing for the Bold itself. i’ve heard that it would be $299 with a 2 year contract but i’ve also heard there may be a $100 rebate. is that with the rebate or will the Bold be $199 with the 2 year contract? also, will there be extra charges associated with different functions?
I have yet to see any dropped call or data speed problems on my iPhone 3G. Even in NYC, where people complain like no tomorrow, I haven’t had a single issue. Go figure?
@brianW
$299 after Rebate until at least x-mas. Pricing after that date, who knows.
@melmac: Because people always have and always will find reason to hate on the iPhone. I too have had no issues with my service and in fact, since the 2.1 software update have had a better experience with AT&T than ever. Mostly it “cheap” folks here who bitch about rates and cry for TMobile. TMO is a joke of a network suitable for kids. Which is usually what posts most of the hate. Teens who can’t afford an iPhone or a real network. They come here to bash AT&T and the iPhone because they are stuck with a Sidekick on a $10 a month plan.
Woot! AT&T making up for their crappy 3g network by giving away a hotspot data network. BOOO
My bold gets speeds over 15mb/s in manteca ca and surrounding 3G on my bold.
I like my iPhone and I like T-Mobile’s network.
I like using my iPhone on T-Mobile’s network.
As a BES admin, I find the T-Mobile network a smart choice. Smart choices don’t have to be expensive.
You know for all the coverage that AT&T has, they have forgotten the fundamentals including quality, reliability and consistency in their network plans.
With the exception of the only poll AT&T recognizes, (Telephia’s fewest dropped calls) poll after poll ranks AT&T dead last in all the categories that count.
They charge Verizon’s prices, but deliver a subpar experience. Believe me, if it wasn’t for the iPhone, Verizon would be delivering a slaughter. You just can’t sustain that much growth on a network not built tough enough.
T-Mobile doesn’t offer the coverage AT&T does, but they don’t claim to either. Anyone who blames T-Mobile for not working in the sticks really is barking up the wrong tree.
People complain when a product doesn’t work. That’s why you see all the network related complaints with AT&T. I’m not sure why you deny anything other than positive news for the carrier? Take off the blinders.
Lol as do I…and my sidekick…and I like my 90 phone bill which includes 2 data plans…..and unlimited texting…and unlimited tethering with my shadow….don’t like edge tho
…or my new g1….g1 for sale $200….
@ Eric: That’s so cool that T-Mobile will be offering free Hotspot usage too! I just left AT&T’s dropped calls for T-Mobile here in Los Angeles and couldn’t be happier. The network may be a bit smaller, but it just works in the areas that have signal.
@ Melanie: I agree. AT&T shouldn’t charge VZW prices if they can’t deliver.
I know this is supposed to be an ATT Blog “oops post” but one can’t talk about free Wifi without thinking about T-mobile and UMA. Att is starting to feel the strains on its network caused by high end data users on their network and this will only get worst with the intrudution of more 3g phones. Att is now trying to relieve this strain by incuraging it users to go Wifi for data instead of using the mobile network.
T-mobile might be smaller then ATT here in the US, but they are operating a lot smarter and offering their customers more for less. T-Mobile is a global company and have been working with 3G for many years and they are very aware of the strains that this can cause to a network. Since T-mobile has a smaller network then most they knew that in order to compete with the other 3G companies it had to successfully establish its nation-wide UMA services before it could released 3G. T-Mobile US has successfully used UMA to increase their coverage and more importantly it freed tons of bandwidth allowing T-Mobile to offer more to for less . T-Mobile knows to be successful and to compete with the big boys they need to continue offering free Wifi and they have added it to G1 plans and later this year it will be added to Blackberry plans and most likely when Danger gets wifi to the sidekick they will include it there as well.
Just got my text message from at&t about 2 mins ago. Now I just need to try it out at Starbucks.
So let me get this straight. Clarify this for me Zach or BG if I’m totally off base here. So they make you pay for data which is slow as a snail because of the iPhone and their unwillingness to expend money on towers and such, but then give you wifi, which is free, because the data won’t work…correct? Makes sense.
When is someone just going to invent a wi-fi cloud that envelops us all, 24/7? I’m so tired of hot spots and “we have wi-fi” signs in business windows.
This is pretty cool. Hopefully I will get a bold soon…
Now, if ATT would come up with an UMA service for the Blackberries, that would be great. I don’t even care if they charge me regular minutes, but let me make calls at domestic rates from my hotel room in Shanghai or a Starbucks in Munich.
Visited the Starbucks store in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan several weeks ago. attwifi worked without difficulty on my iPhone. Since I have AT&T DSL internet at home, I expected there would be no problem for my son using a Nintendo DSi running Opera. How wrong I was!
We spent nearly an hour trying to get the DSi on Starbucks attwifi. The store staff was completely unhelpful. There was no documentation anywhere. And, several weeks later, Starbucks customer service responded to my email by completely ignoring the problems I’d outlined — simply copying the info on attwifi present on the Starbucks site.
Needless to say my son *will not* be visiting Starbucks with me if he does not have internet access with his DSi.
Whether the problem is Starbucks or AT&T, I really don’t care. I’ll be spending my coffee money at Caribou Coffee, Boston Stoker or other coffee houses which have wireless which runs on DSi.