shashinka
join:2000-09-16
West Boylston, MA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Charter Pipeline
| how about other wi-fi enabled phones
I have the AT&T Cingular 8125 with WIFI built-in, why the hell couldn't I use this damn network for free?
Also if you go to a coffee shop with wifi and the iphone that is not part of AT&T then you could certainly use free or paid WIFI, AT&T and the Iphone is not going to stop you. |
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iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Fredericksburg, TX
·Qwest.net
·Comcast
 ·magicjack.com
 ·BeeCreek Communica..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| The thing here is AT&T runs a lot of hot spots beside the ones in Starbucks. Now, if your smartphone has WiFi, you can access them at no additional charge, just like you could if you're an AT&T customer on one of their higher-tier DSL plans. It's a bit of a win-win for you and AT&T: when you're within range of a hotspot, you get faster, lower-latency internet (usually a T1 runs into each hotspot, or so it seems), and you're not using up their cellular network capacity.
Why AT&T doesn't just do a login page and give all smartphone users a login for their WiFi service I'm not sure, but I'm *supposing* they're going that way this time... |
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bullet087
join:2006-05-17
Kingwood, TX | This free service is AT&Ts way of saying that iPhone users use too much of AT&Ts data network and they want to unload that data onto traditional landlines.
BTW iansltx, I have been to Fredericksburg, nice little town! |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| reply to iansltx
said by iansltx  : It's a bit of a win-win for you and AT&T: when you're within range of a hotspot, you get faster, lower-latency internet (usually a T1 runs into each hotspot, or so it seems), and you're not using up their cellular network capacity. Smart move, those AT&T hotspots rarely have anyone on them. In my experiance, I've never had my speeds less or more than ~1490kbit/s. So offloading cell traffic to an alternative underutilized network is a life saver. The problem with the shitty T1s when your downloading alot of multimedia, 1.5mbit/s take for f'ing ever compared to 6mbit/s DSL or most cable modems. |
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iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Fredericksburg, TX | reply to bullet087
Thanks, though if you came here with a 3G iPhone you'd be disappointed...nothing but EDGE for AT&T for miles, thought that should change in a few quarters. Nuthin' but EvDO  |
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iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Fredericksburg, TX
·Qwest.net
·Comcast
·magicjack.com
·BeeCreek Communica..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to patcat88
But hey, 1.5 Mbit/s is better than, oh, 500-1200 kb/s on HSPA. Plus latency is about 1/3 to 1/2 that of HSPA. Great alternative to cellular and particularly good on the upload...UVerse max's out at 1.5 and only recently have cable providers started topping out at 2 Mbps...
And if you need better download speed...you go home to your DSL connection A T1 is generally good enough to stream, game, videoconference or what-have-you so long as most of the bandwidth is free, wouldn't ya think? |
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