AT&T buys Wayport hotspots; confirms iPhone tethering
AT&T is all over the connectivity map and is seemingly doing all they can to get customers connected to the web. First up they have purchased Wayport’s 3,000 hotspots to make their hotspot collection even bigger than before and bringing their US hotspot count to 20,000. This move on the heels of locking up Starbucks hotspots make AT&T one of the top players in the WiFi hotspot business in the US. This goes well with AT&T’s recent announcements giving free hotspot access to iPhone and Blackberry owners. This deal should make Boingo extremely happy with their roaming agreement with AT&T suddenly getting even bigger.
AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega today confirmed that iPhone owners will soon be able to use the phone’s 3G connectivity to tether to laptops to access the web. Tethering is a major advantage for 3G phone owners and this will open the iPhone up for that purpose. No exact date was mentioned by de la Vega for tethering enablement but it is great to get confirmation on this front.
I believe Boingo already has a roaming agreement with Wayport, and considering the number of people who have free access to AT&T hotspots (AT&T broandband customers, iphone, blackberry users), this deal will potentially hurt Boingo rather than help IMO.
Any news or speculation if AT&T will offer this for my 8925 Tilt or any other smartphone?
Can someone explain why this hotspot access is restricted to iPhone users? Why isn’t it anyone whose phone is on AT&T network? What makes it OK for iPhone and Blackberry and not for WinMo?
Inquiring minds are curious.
If AT&T does offer iPhone modem tethering, it may push me over the edge. I still use my first-generation iPhone and my Verizon EV-DO modem card (at $60 a month). At the right price, say $20 to $30 a month max, I’d likely drop EV-DO and upgrade my iPhone… pending a check of the AT&T coverage map that is.
You guys really think that they are going to let you tether for free? C’mon! They are going to have an extra $20 fee for this, guaranteed!