AT&T Inc. announced today that it has made available to its customers over 9,000 new Wi-Fi locations in the UK, Germany and Nordics through an agreement with The Cloud, one of the largest European public Wi-Fi provider.
The expansion is part of AT&T’s global expansion programme which will accelerate the delivery of global IP services and solutions to business and multinational companies in key markets worldwide. Supporting this, business and consumer travellers on the move now have convenient access to The Cloud’s public Wi-Fi hotspots, enabling them to take full advantage of high speed Internet services to help ensure time spent traveling is utilized efficiently.
Commenting on the agreement, John V Slamecka, Vice President for AT&T’s operations in Europe, the Middle East & Africa said in the press release: “AT&T is committed to continue to expand its Enterprise Mobility portfolio which will provide our customers with flexible WiFi to access corporate networks and stay in touch with the home or the office anywhere and at any time.”
Owen Geddes, Director of Business Development at The Cloud added in the press release: “The Cloud is delighted to be working with AT&T to help its customers access vital business data on the move. The Cloud has the largest European footprint in its field, and its extensive network coverage is ideally suited to business travellers wanting seamless hotspot access across major EU countries.”
AT&T’s total global Wi-Fi service area now exceeds more than 57,000 hotspots in 83 countries, further supplementing the company’s robust Wi-Fi presence in the United States — the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network (based on non-municipal, company-owned and operated hot spots).
Currently, more than 28,000 Wi-Fi access points are located across Europe, Middle East and Africa. The Cloud’s 9,000 hotspots are split 7,600 across the UK, 900 in Germany and 500 in the Nordics. The company’s entire global Wi-Fi footprint is accessible to enterprise, small business and residential customers alike based on qualifying service plans.
Source: http://www.att.com/
Panic grows amongst the competition. Symbian enter deal with Microsoft (bye-bye Symbian, another great british company bite the Redmond dust) enabling Nokia to put Microsoft crippleware on their phones.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/06/news/international/microsoft.reut/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote
Now why would I pay for Wi-Fi access in hotspots — at approx £5 per hour in the likes of Starbucks — when I can have unlimited 3.5G anywhere for £30 per month?
Bring on the 3G or even better 3.5G iPhone.
The iPhone plans do NOT include access to AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots in the U.S. (Or, presumably, in Europe.) So happy gloating may be misguided. These hotspots are only another opportunity for them to bill their own customers–along with anyone else who happens by–at an extortionate hourly rate.
In general, it doesn’t do to let your hopes get up where AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon are concerned. Just remember that the U.S. wireless providers’ business model remains the entrenchment of an irresistible oligopoly that can bilk you as efficiently and completely as possible, rather than the provision of an irresistibly good service.
(And given the grim, short-term-profit-seeking sameness of their plans, I would in fact be amazed if they weren’t actively colluding on pricing and the extraordinary limitations they impose on customers’ uses of their networks. Only T-Mobile seems to be interested in straying off the reservation, however tentatively.)
Until that starts to shift–probably with the help of enlightened federal rule-making–we will continue to run into one expensive, shin-barking obstruction after another as we try to go about our wireless lives.
And the U.S. will fall farther and farther behind in wireless infrastructure, at the cost of our quality of life and economic growth.
Anyone who’s had the misfortune of smelling the stench of a jolly good fart knows how insiduos the smell creeps up on you before smashing your sensibilities to pieces.
This global extention of wi-fi by AT&T will prepare the ground for AT&T to smash the barriers in America and thus provide wi-fi access without the need for expensive 3G services.
Ask your local AT&T for a roaming plan if you plan to travel, so as to avoid being whacked by large bill. If you cannot get one, ask how you can access your data without having to pay too much. If they will not help you on that, then blog it to the World and embarass them into doing something about it, in fact call Apple inc. & complain, they could possibly intervene.
Until then…do not use your iphone abroad for data until it has been launched there.
The family who blogged about their iphone experience in japan never complained about charges did they?
Thw person who said it cost them over $3000.00 must be spreding FUD!
DRINK CA…………….!!!!!