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AT&T, which knows a marketing trick or two, today announced its DSL customers can now receive free WiFi access over AT&T’s network — which includes nearly 10,000 hot spots including airports, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, coffee shops and popular sporting venues.
With one of the nation’s largest Wi-Fi networks, AT&T can encourage more iPhone users to subscibe to DSL services.
Qualifying AT&T DSL packages are the higher speed variety (costing $29.95/mo and up) including: AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Pro (up to 3.0 Mbps downstream), AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Elite (up to 6.0 Mbps downstream), FastAccess Xtreme (up to 3.0 Mbps downstream) and FastAccess Xtreme 6.0 (up to 6.0 Mbps downstream).
Previously AT&T?s DSL customers could get WiFi access for just $1.99 per month, so free isn’t a big leap.
 T-Mobile’s hotspot network is also huge. There are some 8,048 T-Mobile HotSpot locations in the U.S. including Starbucks, Borders Books, FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Centers, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Red Roof Inns, Sofitel and Novotel Hotels, the airline clubs of American, Delta, United and US Airways, and select airports.
T-Mobile offers competitive service plans. If you use T-Mobile cellular service, access to T-Mobile’s WiFi network costs $20 per month or $30 per month for combined Wi-Fi and EDGE. Non T-Mobile subscribers can also access their network for $30 per month (with a one-year contract).
T-Mobile’s Hotspot@Home service uses unlicensed mobile access (UMA) to tunnel a GSM signal over the public IP network, allowing a dual-mode phone to switch back and forth between a Wi-Fi and cellular network.
Wouldn’t it be grand if AT&T offered similar service for the iPhone. Add U-verse for a quad play. Could they bring it in for $99/month and eviscerate Comcast? Their biggest competitor might be Clearwire/DirectTV.
Wouldn’t T-Mobile want a piece of that action?
In related news, AT&T announced two new offers for their AT&T Wireless Gateway, an integrated WiFi/DSL box. The box is free (after mail-in rebate), for AT&T wireless customers who order new AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Pro or Elite, or new FastAccess Xtreme or Xtreme 6.0 broadband service.
AT&T recently announced that it has enhanced its Global Network Client ? the software used by mobile workers to access their company’s Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) ? streamlining logons and adding a new level of security features from these locations and other Wi-Fi hot spots around the world.
AT&T says their global Wi-Fi service now exceeds more than 48,000 hot spots in 79 countries. This includes service to nearly 15,000 hot spots available to AT&T Remote Access customers in the U.S. in locations such as airports, coffee houses, and restaurants.
MacWorld explains how to use the iPhone’s WiFi connections.
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