Got a tip for us? Share it...
• • RSS

AT&T Makes Wi-Fi Hot Spot Usage Much More Convenient with iPhone 3.0

Wednesday June 17, 2009 5:08 pm PDT by Arnold Kim
9to5Mac points out that AT&T also announced a welcome piece of news for existing and future iPhone owners. AT&T now supports Wi-Fi "auto-authentication" in the 3.0 firmware. While iPhone customers have had free access to over 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots, accessing them required a somewhat cumbersome two-step authentication process using SMS. The new system will eliminate these steps altogether:

Auto-authentication allows iPhone users to seamlessly switch from AT&T's 3G network to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot without being prompted. AT&T customers with qualifying iPhone data plans have unlimited access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network -- more than 20,000 U.S. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots.

The new process eliminates the previous two-step authentication, making it easier and faster for iPhone customers to connect to AT&T Wi-Fi. Auto-connect is established once a customer connects their iPhone to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot the first time.

The new system is available starting today for all existing iPhone customers who have installed iPhone 3.0 and will also be available to iPhone 3G S owners.
[ 92 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
HiRez
35 months ago
Very cool, and about time! That was really a lame interim method they came up with.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
NinjaHERO
35 months ago
So this means it happens whenever you are in range or there is some setting that needs to be turned on?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
MrMac208
35 months ago
seriously its about time.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
iphones4evry1
35 months ago
Now this is totally awesome if it works as they say it does. :D
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Mr. Giver '94
35 months ago
So it's automatic?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Airforcekid
35 months ago
Does this work for other wifi devices too?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
iphones4evry1
35 months ago

So it's automatic?


I know one way to find out.
Go to a coffee shop with an AT&T WiFi hotspot and look at your phone and see if it's using WiFi.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
timshundo
35 months ago
Ah, interesting. So if iPhone users can connect to paid hotspots automatically for free, would it be possible to get that Wi-Fi internet connection from the phone to your computer through tethering rather than paying for a daily wifi pass? Perhaps this is what AT&T was worried about and have delayed the feature to work something out?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
iMacoo7
35 months ago
Here is the "qualifying customer" chant again... that really needs to be clarified. My monthly bill is always 150.00 -180.00 that is the total for my iphone and the other 2 lines on the plan and this includes my FAN discount.
So I wonder if they are saying each line has to range 99 bucks a piece thus leaving the consumer with a 300.00 monthly cell phone bill which is wicked.
Any comments on this matter
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Jayomat
35 months ago

Ah, interesting. So if iPhone users can connect to paid hotspots automatically for free, would it be possible to get that internet connection from the phone to your computer to tethering? Perhaps this is what AT&T was worried about and have delayed the feature to work something out?


what has the one thing to do with the other?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives

[ Read All Comments ]