A couple of readers have reported that AT&T hotspots are now offering free Wi-Fi access to iPhone users. Barnes and Noble, Starbucks and presumably AT&T's 71,000 other Wi-fi hotspot locations are now offering iPhone users a custom portal to access free Wi-Fi. A special iPhone formatted page asks for your mobile phone number. Once entered, you can access the Wi-Fi access for free.

MacRumors has been able to confirm this finding at a local Barnes and Noble. Blurry photo provided:

AT&T recently partnered with Starbucks (displacing T-Mobile) to provide Wi-Fi access to Starbucks' 7000 stores nationwide. This partnership allowed existing AT&T broadband customers free access and AT&T promised that it would "soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers", but no official announcement has yet been made.

A list of AT&T's 71,000 hotspots can be found on AT&T's site, including Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Airports, and McDonald's locations.

Update: MacRumors reader ntrigue confirms that AT&T's system is based on the iPhone's User Agent, which can easily be faked on laptops. He successfully accessed the free iPhone Wifi through his laptop (and a valid iPhone phone number)"

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/04/30/free-atandt-wi-fi-access-for-iphones/

AT&T joins the club, offers unlimited calling plan

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Unlimited Calling Plan Cheat Sheet

Okay, so every major provider now has unlimited access plans. But what do you really get with each provider, and for how much? Here's everything broken down into a single chart. Note: These are for your phone only, and don't include tethering.

It looks like AT&T has the best deal, at $135 for unlimited voice, messaging and data, though it's capped at 5GB a month. Verizon's is $15 more a month, but it's got better coverage. Sprint's unlimited requires a separate Power Vision or Blackberry data plan for smartphones, otherwise it might come out on top. And well, T-Mobile doesn't have 3G. So, nothing to really jump providers for, yet, since there's more than flat pricing to consider.

Starbucks ditches T-Mobile for AT&T

Ubiquitous caffeine conglomerate Starbucks has ended its Wi-Fi partnership with T-Mobile in favor of one with AT&T.

Under the existing plan with T-Mobile, Starbucks customers needed a paid subscription to access the in-store Wi-Fi, and T-Mobile HotSpot subscribers will continue to have access to Starbucks Wi-Fi thanks to an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile. But the new AT&T plan allows all customers two free hours per day, with a $3.99 fee for additional two-hour chunks of time. Monthly subscriptions will cost $19.99 and will enable access to other AT&T hotspot locations in addition to Starbucks.

In addition, AT&T broadband customers will be able to surf at the more than 7,000 Starbucks locations in the U.S. for free. The new Wi-Fi partnership is expected to be rolled out gradually at Starbucks locations this spring.

It's an understandable move on Starbucks' part; the coffee chain has a number of deals in place with Apple and its iTunes Store. Apple uses AT&T as the mobile service provider for the iPhone. Rumors of a Starbucks mobile ordering interface for the iPhone have been circulating for months.

The new partnership also extends to the business side of Starbucks: AT&T will also power an "enterprise-class" network for internal operations.

AT&T Bringing Free Wi-Fi to Starbucks (Finally!)

AT&T is popping Wi-Fi hotspots at over 7,000 Starbucks stores, exploding their own network and smothering razing T-Mobile's biggest Wi-Fi front in one fell swoop. AT&T is offering the true Starbucks killer app: Two hours of free Wi-Fi a day to Starbucks Card holders (like the gift cards, so just pre-pay for your fix) and unlimited internets to AT&T's broadband customers and Starbucks slaves. Update: Even though T-Mobile has actually gotten the boot from Starbucks, AT&T is letting T-Mo customers keep using the hotspots for no extra fee.

AT&T is promising fatter pipes to boot—a necessity with the certain spike of wireless leechers. If you're not in the privileged classes, monthly subs that work at any AT&T Wi-Fi spot go for $20, while a two-hour hit runs $4. This all hits in the spring.

Am I the only one who finds it strange to suddenly see a Wi-Fi war in 2008, when we should be talking about mobile broadband, 4G—something a little less five years ago? That said, I'm not exactly one to complain about more, free internet access, however it gets to me, and it's good to see AT&T palpably improving its network assets.

More Than 12 Million AT&T, Starbucks Customers to Get Free Wi-Fi Access for a Rich In-Store Experience

New Offering Includes Two Hours of Free Wi-Fi Service Per Day for Starbucks Card Holders Beginning this Spring

All 100,000 U.S.-Based Starbucks Partners to Receive Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks Stores

Seattle, Washington, San Antonio, Texas, February 11, 2008

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced plans to deliver AT&T Wi-FiSM service at more than 7,000 company-operated Starbucks locations across the United States. The initiative brings together two of the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient online experience for consumers and business customers. Starbucks and AT&T will offer a mix of free and paid Wi-Fi offerings at Starbucks stores to meet the needs of both frequent and occasional Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.

The initiative further expands the AT&T Wi-Fi network, already the largest in the United States, to more than 17,000 U.S. hot spots and more than 70,000 globally.

Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verseSM Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In addition, more than 5 million of AT&T's remote access services business customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.

"People want to stay connected to their world 24/7, and Wi-Fi hot spots, broadband and wireless make that mobility possible," said Rick Welday, AT&T chief marketing officer, Consumer. "Laptops and smartphones give us the online mobility we crave, and now millions of AT&T and Starbucks customers will get Internet access free from the comfort of their neighborhood Starbucks."

"This is what our customers have been waiting for -- free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks Coffee Company. "Through our new partnership with AT&T, we also welcome their millions of current customers who can now come in and enjoy free Wi-Fi as part of their daily Starbucks Experience."

As an added benefit for the more than 100,000 Starbucks partners in the U.S., all Starbucks partners will receive free AT&T Wi-Fi accounts allowing them to use the network in Starbucks company-operated locations offering Wi-Fi access.

"Our new relationship with AT&T gives us the opportunity to expand and enhance the range of digital entertainment experiences for our customers as well as our partners, including the continued rollout of the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks," said Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment.

In addition to the free Wi-Fi access for qualifying AT&T customers and any Starbucks Card holder, customers will be able to purchase tiered access to the AT&T Wi-Fi network at Starbucks at attractive price points. For a two-hour period, customers will pay just $3.99 per session. Monthly membership will also be available for $19.99 per month, and will include access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries around the world.

AT&T business customers who subscribe to remote access services can also enjoy unlimited, flat-rate access plans at any Starbucks location offering Wi-Fi service or at other AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots.

Additionally, AT&T is providing Starbucks an enterprise-class network with increased bandwidth and redundancy. AT&T's underlying network technologies will enable a wide range of business applications and help Starbucks stores operate more efficiently.

"Delivering networking capabilities to help a world-class company such as Starbucks achieve greater business velocity is what we do," said Welday. "Our work with Starbucks is collaborative innovation at its finest."

The availability of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks will take place on a market-by-market basis with store implementation beginning this spring and completed by the end of the year.

I found this at webware.com and gizmomdo.com

Get an unlocked phone, and 600 euros back

If you’re a would-be German iPhone buyer, you may feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place: don’t want to tether yourself to T-Mobile, but also don’t feel like shelling out the €999 for an unlocked phone?

Here’s a clever idea by German reseller Debitel: starting tomorrow, they’ll offer a €600 incentive to buy the iPhone from them. That brings the price down to €399, the same as it’ll cost you to pick up an iPhone along with a T-Mobile contract.

Personally, I wonder how they can afford to do this, but maybe they don’t expect very many people to jump at the offer. Debitel’s offering plans that start at €40 a month, €9 cheaper than T-Mobile’s lowest competing plan. Of course, you’ll have to do without Visual Voicemail, but all of the phone’s other features ought to work fine.

Category: News

Posted by Dan Moren on Nov 27 2007, 3:36 PM ET

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/27/debitel-offering-600-euro-sign-up-bonus-for-999-euro-iphone-in-g/

iPhone Prices Compared in Four Countries (Verdict: We're Doing Alright)

Germans Can Now Unlock iPhone Using iTunes