AT&T Making it Easy to Get On WiFi

If you aren't reading the tea leaves, then you're likely missing the fact that AT&T really has a WiFi strategy.

First they did the deal with Apple for the iPhone. The iPhone has WiFi and it also has 3G now.

Second they overtook T-Mobile, winning the WiFi business away for the thousands of Starbucks locations, while at the same time working with Wayport on McDonalds.

Third, they bought Wayport, thus getting firmly into the business of hospitality industry and conference facility WiFi in a big way.

Now they have released an what I'm calling an "easy on ramp" application called Easy WiFi for AT&T. It's nothing more than a stripped down, AT&T only log-on application for AT&T hotspots from DeviceScape. It's also free. You go to the App Store, download it and plug in your AT&T Mobile phone number and off you go.

Connection is easy, fast and simple. What AT&T and Apple are doing here is much in line with the Apple philosophy of no manuals required, and also, no support needed. By making WiFi access simple and easy, AT&T is getting people used to the use of WiFi by taking the most painful part of setting up access away.

Comments

[Phillip Heller]

Alas, why could they not use 802.1x. Perhaps sell a client side cert via the app store.