AT&T reported that use of its more than 20,000 U.S. Wi-Fi hotspots surged to 53.1 million connections in the first quarter. This is nearly five times higher than the 10.7 million connections made in the first quarter last year, and more than half of the 85.5 million total Wi-Fi connections made in 2009.
The Wi-Fi network is designed to complement AT&T’s wireless and wired broadband networks. At the end of the first quarter, nearly 32 million AT&T customers had AT&T Wi-Fi access included with their qualifying smartphone, AT&T High Speed Internet and 3G LaptopConnect plans, an added value and convenience that drives Wi-Fi usage. Many smartphones, including the iPhone support auto-authentication at AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots. In Q1, 69 percent of Wi-Fi connections were made from smartphones and integrated devices, up from 35 percent a year ago in the first quarter of 2009.
The total number of AT&T broadband connections — which includes both wireline broadband and wireless LaptopConnect cards — grew by 278,000 in the first quarter to reach 17.5 million in service.
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