UPDATE: 1pm ET
AT&T pulled the Web page that advertised free nationwide access to AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots for iPhone users. Earlier today AT&T posted on its site an announcement that said:
"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 hot-spot network with more than 17,000 hot spots, 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."
Within hours it removed the Web page and an AT&T spokesperson publicly stated: "The Web page was posted in error and is being removed."
This is the second time the past six months AT&T has offered a free Wi-Fi access plan only later to renege on the offer.
Our original report follows:
Once again, AT&T has announced that it will provide iPhone owners access to free Wi-Fi across its entire hotspot network nationwide. With 17,000 locations in airports, hotels, convention centers, universities and select Starbucks locations, iPhone users will be able to take advantage of their device's Wi-Fi capability instead of depending on the battery-power-sucking 3G service.
While this may be cause for celebration some of you may recall that AT&T has been teasing and toying with this idea, and its customers, for several months now. In May, the company first announced it would give iPhone owners free access to Wi-Fi across its network only to yank that decision a few days later. Shortly after that the free Wi-Fi plan showed up on the company's website again, only to disappear again. This time however, the company has published an entire Web page for the plan so we can only assume it's legit.
It's also a smart move considering all the new and existing iPhone users now competing for 3G bandwidth on AT&T's network. To alleviate the 3G congestion by allowing customers to surf using AT&T's Wi-Fi hotspots seems to make sense.
The move also makes sense if you consider that AT&T has been trying to pull as many customers as possible into using its Wi-Fi service. In January, the company provided free Wi-Fi to its broadband customers, and last month Starbucks started offering two free hours of AT&T Wi-Fi per day to Starbucks Card holders.
Now the corporate overlords have bestowed the wonders of free Wi-Fi on iPhone owners...allegedly.
