AT&T Offers Free Wi-Fi for iPhones, Again

By Nick Mokey Published November 5, 2009

AT&T Offers Free Wi-Fi for iPhones, Again — Image used with permission by copyright holder

After giving iPhone users free access to its nationwide Wi-Fi network then pulling it away several times in the past year, AT&T has yet again opened up its network of Wi-Fi hotspots to smartphone users for free. On Thursday, the carrier announced that both BlackBerry and iPhone users would have access to all 17,000 of its locations for no additional charge.

The move is likely a counter to T-Mobile’s offer to provide G1 users with free Wi-Fi at its company-owned hotspots. Both carriers have a tumultuous history involving Wi-Fi hotspots: after AT&T took over providing Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations from T-Mobile, the rival carrier accused it of colluding with Starbucks to offer free service on hardware it didn’t own, prior to the service transition. Owners of iPhones had offers of free Wi-Fi service extended and revoked during the battle, but now that all three parties have finally worked things out, free Wi-Fi should be here to stay.

Recommended Videos

Besides the hotly contested Starbucks turf, AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots include Barnes & Noble book stores, McDonald’s restaurants, as well as airports, hotels, universities and other areas.

Former Editor in Chief

As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

Topics

Phones

The best free VPNs for 2026

The best free VPNs still come with compromises, but a few offer enough privacy and flexibility to be genuinely useful.

Proton VPN UI

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server run by the VPN provider. Websites see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours, and you can get around geo-blocks, censorship, and ISP throttling. The best VPN services are paid, but there are still a handful of free options that do the job well.

Most free VPNs come with a hidden cost, because running servers isn’t cheap and a company that doesn’t charge you has to make its money somewhere else. Many do so by logging your browsing activity and selling it to advertisers, while others flood you with ads and track you across apps.

Phones

The best Kindle in 2026: Here are the top Kindles for reading

From a pocket-friendly e-reader to a premium color notebook, Amazon has a Kindle for almost every kind of reader.

kindle colorsoft back converted

There's nothing quite like curling up with a good book on a cold evening. As much as I love the feel of a physical book, books take up a lot of space, and carrying more than one on a trip quickly becomes a chore. That's where e-readers come in, and the Amazon Kindle remains one of the best options.

Amazon just refreshed its Kindle lineup with thinner, lighter designs, a new flush-front display, and colors that wrap from front to back. Add the Kindle Scribe and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to the mix, and you have more choices than ever before.

Phones

The best Android apps in 2026: I spent months testing dozens that truly earn their keep

From smarter task management to custom home screens, these 20 apps give you good reasons to install something new on your Android phone

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

A good Android app should earn its place on your phone. It might make an everyday task easier, handle something the built-in software can't, or let you change an experience that never quite worked for you.

These 20 apps cover everything from quick notes and password management to automation and local file sharing. Some are free, others charge for advanced features, and a few take some effort to figure out. The point isn't to install them all. It's to find the ones that make your phone work better for you.