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AT&T Officially Lists Wi-Fi Hotspot Access with iPhone Plans

macrumors.com — AT&T's iPhone website (under 'Plans' tab) has been updated to reveal that each iPhone plan now includes access to their "more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots, including Starbucks all for use in the U.S." It was first revealed last week that AT&T had quietly begun offering iPhone users access to thei...

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chrisxwhaley, on 05/08/2008, -0/+23Hopefully this is retroactive to all existing iPhone users who have already signed the 2-year contract. Looks like it should be.
- longofest, on 05/08/2008, -0/+12yes, it is.
- mark076h, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6sweet!
- Anpheus, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4Wow, for once a retroactive contract change by a telecom/wireless giant doesn't hurt the consumer.
  
  What's next, AT&T lobbies for a pro net-neutrality bill?
  - dOOBiEx213, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1This is probably a move to make it look like: "Hey, you see what we can offer you! Just give up net neutrality, and let us take care of your internet needz zomg!1!!"
- SouthsideIrish, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Using it already, and my phone is close to original.
- haikuFU, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Hopefully, they are just letting you have access based on the first 24 bits of the MAC address. :)
  - allanak, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I couldn't have said it better myself. Spoof an iphone mac and have free wifi?
LumpOfCole, on 05/08/2008, -0/+17Awesome, I shall go to Starbucks today and express my happiness. Now if only they served Pumpkin Spice Lattes all year around.
- Flamancot, on 05/08/2008, -11/+3Pumpkin Spice Lattes suck an effing chode. Way to intense, sweet, etc.
  /vomit
  - pnunn, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6gotta love Digg- where NO ONE is allowed to have any kind of opinion about anything without someone putting it down with a pointless vulgar retort... even a latte they like...
    
    FYI- "to" in the context yu are using it should be spelled "too." AKA- Your grammar sucks an "effing chode."
    - pnunn, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3yeah... I spelled "you" wrong... Digg strikes a karmic blow...
    - JudgeMonkey, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1Yeah, but isn't Flamancot entitled to express his opinion on the matter too?
  - Boodie, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3That's Scott.... He's a Dick!
chkdg8, on 05/08/2008, -3/+7At least this is better off than launch. It's so sad that T-mobile got kicked to the curb by Starbucks. My guess is that 17,000 hot spots can easily suffice the needs of any iPhone user. I'm drooling for iPhone 2.0.
- GeauxLSU, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Screw the Germans!
- TROY7, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I think everyone is...
- locojones, on 05/09/2008, -3/+1Which mediocre overpriced coffee beverage to go along with your overpriced mediocre cell phone sir?
clak, on 05/08/2008, -4/+21Somehow, I don't understand quite how yet, but the Apple haters will turn this into a negative.
- jabberwolf, on 05/08/2008, -9/+4Apple haters will state "just the facts"... mam.
- myranttoyou, on 05/08/2008, -2/+5Probably by trolling for the negative comments is my guess.
- cowsgonemadd3, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3It should be free....
  - Avian00, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3Agreed! I'm always outright SHOCKED at the price of hotspot access. Especially after I just handed over almost $5 for a cup of coffee. The least they could do is let me use the wi-fi for free.
    
    The funny thing is, I just realized how hypocritical that statement is. I mean, I'm asking not to get raked over on wi-fi while at the same time choosing to get ripped off for a cup of coffee. Hah. Either way, it still blows. Personally I think they might sell more expensive coffee if the wifi was free. Seems like a sound business strategy. Maybe I'm wrong.
- g33kfu, on 05/08/2008, -4/+6Let me take a stab:
  
  "Bah! Why not open access up to all wifi enabled devices! Like my Nokia N800!"
  "They're only doing this so you can buy more DRM crap from iTunes while drinking your gay-low-fat-soy-latte"
  "So? The POS iPhone still doesn't have C&P, I rather use my Android phone"
  
  etc...
  - DarkLaughingMan, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I think any device can use this as long as they spoof the user agent and get an iPhone #.
starf, on 05/08/2008, -2/+13Sounds like an incentive to stick wit AT&T.
More evidence that apple may be selling 2.0 unlocked?
- bigandy, on 05/08/2008, -6/+10HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
  
  I'm sure ATT went and splurged on a five year exclusive deal just so they could sell it unlocked on their own.
  
  YEAH ***** RIGHT.
jabberwolf, on 05/08/2008, -15/+6HMM -
No actual confirmation of 3G ....
and
ATT rolling out plans for iPhone "HOT SPOTS"

Next - Apple and Jobs will tell you why they dont need Flash, Java, OR 3G (And sheepish Apple users drool and nod their heads in agreement)
- santaliqueur, on 05/08/2008, -5/+1Yeah, because we really have *no idea* if the iPhone is getting 3G. Pathetic troll attempt.
- bpapa, on 05/08/2008, -1/+5Umm.. what? 3G was confirmed months ago. Flash would be nice but the reason why it isn't there is completely legitimate. As for Java, give me a break man, there is no reason for the phone to have Java. And this is coming from a JAVA DEVELOPER. It doesn't make any sense for Apple to support it.
  - Cockdiesel, on 05/08/2008, -2/+0bpapa hasn't met captain obvious yet. Santa .. make your stars bigger.
- Me1000, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1I dont need flash, I dont want java, I cant use 3G
  
  hmmm... so yeah!
totorototoro, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2Nice. Wonder why its being rolled out so quietly-seems more like a Macworld/WWDC announcement kinda event.
LaSepultura, on 05/08/2008, -2/+6Much rather have the 3G than the hotspot, although one Starbucks I go to is inside a Barnes and Nobles where there is no signal. Very useful there. Just the other day I wanted to look up the price of A Clockwork Orange on Amazon, but couldn't with no signal. Now I can browse there and have a cup of the old chai.
- MiDri, on 05/08/2008, -4/+3I'm just going to say its happy to see some one else is a fan of "A Clockwork Orange". Most people I know can't even begin to understand it, it hurts their heads to try to read it.
  - CatsAreGods, on 05/08/2008, -1/+5Bit of pain in the gulliver perhaps?
- ravage86, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5Wouldn't you rather have a cell phone and service provider that gives you reception?
  - r00fus, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2Sure, as long as it's not those ass-hats* Verizon.
    That pretty much rules out the whole field. Plus the brave new world will be a mix of wifi, wimax and cellular data. VOIP is going more and more mainstream every year.
    
    *Proving the ass-hattery of Verizon left as a exercise for reader
- haikuFU, on 05/08/2008, -1/+0I prefer the new chai.
ambo33, on 05/08/2008, -0/+16is it just me or does the at&t site NOT say that just yet?

Direct link: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/spe ...
Direct Image: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/ima ...

/confused?
- sykotik, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1It's true, they're rolling it out very, very soon. As I said down below, we've already done a "quiet stress test," it's just a matter of time now.
Twan2649, on 05/08/2008, -3/+1Hot Spots FTW
digitaldivinci, on 05/08/2008, -2/+2It would really be great if they could somehow expand this for the iPod Touch.

I have an iPhone, but I know enough people who just can't switch to AT&T/get a new contract and are considering the Touch for an iPod with internet.
rockstar1o9, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3i'm a fan of AT&T at starbucks. if you have dsl through AT&T (formerly SBC), then you can use AT&T hotspots for free with your dsl login
yargok, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2Any idea how they authenticate iphones in particular at these hotspots? Is it by a known bank of MAC addresses? Or how the browser identifies itself? It sounds like something that can be spoofed on a laptop...
marqueetool, on 05/08/2008, -5/+0AT&T will live forever

http://maulnet.sevasjack.info/
- JudgeMonkey, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Ya got a little something stuck on the end of your comment there. Could be terminal. It might be best to just kill yourself and your whole family.
boxoman, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I wish they would do it for all AT@T phones. They must be hoping all those hacked iPhones will come back to AT&T
Wesside, on 05/08/2008, -3/+3is anything from macrumors.com EVER official? its a ***** rumor site...
- SouthsideIrish, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4It is not a rumor to me. I am now using my iPhone, in my local Starbucks. Most Starbuck's already have ATT Hotspots. Just a matter of turning them on for iPhones.
- longofest, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2"MacRumors.com: News and Rumors you care about" (on the front page)
  MacRumors reports on both news and rumors, and in fact, a lot of the content is news. Guess you don't actually read the site, or you'd know that.
sykotik, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3Being employed with the company that will support these hotspots, I can confirm that this is, in fact, true. We are still hammering out some of the underlying infrastructure, and as some people noticed, did a quiet "stress test" not more than a week ago. There will most definitely be free connectivity at AT&T WiFi hotspots (not roaming partners however) for iPhone users, they will use their phone numbers to login at these hot spot locations.
rebot, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1this is almost my verbatim post from HoFo - glad it is on Digg
p51d007, on 05/08/2008, -8/+2what's the big deal? My AT&T tilt already has access to wi-fi all over. No iPhone plan needed.
Plus, I have an open system, that I can install a heck of a lot more programs than you can with an iPhone.
Whoop-de-do....I don't use it for movies or music.
- skidmark, on 05/08/2008, -0/+43G isn't Wi-Fi my brother. Plus, I don't think I would call Windows Mobile an "open system".
  - locojones, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1It's light years more open than the Apple phone.
TROY7, on 05/08/2008, -3/+2Wish I had AT&T... US Cellular sucks balls...
kreatre2007, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1This is great. I've noticed that AT&T wi-fi is already available at Starbucks. Now, I can cancel my T-Mobile hotspot account. I'm an AT&T U-Verse customer so, I can use my account on AT&T wi-fi for no additional charge.
starmanjones, on 05/08/2008, -2/+1the significance of this about is as big as you can imagine. with all the talk of ending net neutrality and invasion of privacy... control... there is a single technology that can put a stop to it... put phone giants out of business over night... and thats mesh networks.

there is a threshold of abuse by the telecom giants... governments... that will cause internet users to say enough. nearly everyone has a wireless router that is only a firmware upgrade from accessing a mesh net. if things keep going the way they have been then one morning internet users will wake up feeling threatened and by the end of that day users will have down loaded and flashed their routers to talk to their nieghbors routers... no more phone giants.

the one thing in the way of this happening is the perception. the regular internet user just doesn't know what it means. with this act ATT will be cementing the idea that you can use your iPhone or any one of a bunch of internet phones already on the market to make calls anywhere within a mesh network. free.

the one hurdle... is public perception and ATT is now eliminating that hurdle. its a good day.
tomz17, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1FYI : you can take advantage of this using a PC... google for it!
heystoopid, on 05/09/2008, -2/+1Even better self bugging by a telephone company what an incredible deal !
rusty_g, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1i love how it says to use the phone in a 3G area, when it's not even 3G yet..
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/spe ...
MrBabyMaan, on 05/09/2008, -1/+1It seems that Apple have a promotion ongoing one of the sites I found (And don't remember where exactly) is http://www.couponcodesmall.com/ search for it.
jennyks, on 05/10/2008, -1/+0Thanks for the news, but unfortuantly the closest Starbucks is 3 miles away from me.
http://yestofree.com
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AT&T Officially Lists Wi-Fi Hotspot Access with iPhone Plans

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