Wi-Fi use with AT&T has exploded. In the second quarter,
AT&T handled 68.1 million connections on its public Wi-Fi network --
up from 15 million connections in the second quarter of 2009. That's up 30% over the last quarter.
AT&T Customers
have made 121.2 million Wi-Fi connections in the first half of 2010, already
far surpassing the 85.5 million connections made in all of 2009.
AT&T is also
exploring new uses of Wi-Fi to provide an additional mobile broadband
option in areas with consistently high 3G traffic and mobile data use.
In the second quarter, AT&T deployed a pilot Wi-Fi hotzone in New York City's Times
Square to help AT&T customers stay connected in one of the busiest
locations in the world. AT&T plans to deploy additional hotzones in
other areas across the country soon.
AT&T owns and
operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network, with more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots
at popular locations like retail stores, restaurants and coffee shops.
Wi-Fi has become a
must-have amenity for many venues, including hotels, where many
travelers make the decision on where to stay based on Wi-Fi
availability. Hilton Worldwide recently
announced that it has entered into an agreement with AT&T for a
fully-managed suite of Wi-Fi and Internet services across more than
3,200 properties in the United States, Canada and Puerto
Rico.