AT&T loves WiFi. And it knows that you love WiFi too. So it just bought up WiFi hotspot operator Wayport for $275 million in cash. The acquisition will add about 3,000 WiFi hotspots to AT&T’s network in the U.S., bringing the total to 20,000 hotspots (including those in Starbucks and McDonald’s).
The company cites estimates that 300 million WiFi laptops, cell phones and other devices were shipped in 2007, growing to one billion by 2012. The growth is going to come from WiFi cell phones. Already, the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phones, among others come with WiFi. That will soon be standard on most Internet-capable phone.
A bigger WiFi network helps AT&T’s wireless business because it provides a way to offload data-intensive traffic from its 3G cellular network to the cheaper and faster WiFi networks, where available. That is why AT&T offers free WiFI connections to all of its iPhone and Blackberry customers. Expect that trend to continue.
Keep it free AT&T. Keep it free.
Cynical reminder to TechCrunch ad-sponsored startup readers: Companies that charge customers for product and services typically are more attractive than yours.
Who’s the first troll to say “I’m gonna do my own ad-sponsored WiFi startup and sell to Yahoogle?!!?!”
PWNED!
Is the newly approved white space spectrum going to affect this in anyway (or vice-versa)???
When are non-mobile/contract users (people who don’t use / can’t use AT&T, T Mobile, Sprint, etc.) going to have the promised nationwide WiFi access that everyone’s talking about??? Wouldn’t that make these WiFi hotspots obsolete?
Is there a site that shows all the wifi spots they cover on a map? I’m curious what the places around me are.
I wish they would open up the network so not only can iPhones access the wifi, but people who own iPhones or AT&T phones should have laptop access too!
Not a good sign for Fon.
Manny,
i am working for FON. I think you are wrong. That deal and AT&Ts overall involvement in WiFi are great news for FON.
AT&T realized that they need WiFi to offer real mobile broadband. We believe the same! That’s why Foneros build the world’s largest WiFi network – to get free WiFi access everywhere.
Very good move.
Does this mean I might get free Wifi access at Wayports hotel locations in the future? Because the typical $5-$10 daily charge for wifi internet in the nicer hotels is absurd. You get free wifi at the crap hotels, but have to pay for it at the nice hotels. Way to take care of your customers.
Good strategy move by AT&T.. they’ll probably make Wayport access free, helping their smartphone sales and hurting other standalone Wifi operators (who’ll they’ll then snap up on the cheap).
Where’s the love for owners of the Tilt, a 3G AT&T phone that has WiFi as well?
Free service ??
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
I personally would never want a mobile device without WiFi. But VZW seems to support NO WiFi. No hotspots, only ONE Windows Mobile phone offered with WiFi these days.
Here is a map containing all of the new wifi sites.
http://wayport.know-where.com/wayport/
So, they paid almost $100.000 per accesspoint? Is that a normal price range for a Wifi hotspot (which I’d guess would cost a few hundred or thousand dollars in hardware)? And do they plan to earn this back by selling $10 vouchers? You need to sell quite a lot of them to earn $275.000.000.
What does this mean for sony Mylo users who get one year free use of Wayport with their mylo purchase? Is that in jeopardy? :( Will mylo users lose their free wifi at McDonalds?