Early Christmas gift for iPhone and Blackberry users - free AT&T Wi-Fi access

If you are an iPhone or Blackberry Bold customer with AT&T, then as of today you'll finally be able to access any AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot for free.

The 17,000 AT&T Hotspot locations are primairily found at Starbucks and Barnes & Noble.

There are no additional steps required to access the hotspots, you can simply select the hotspot name like any other wireless access point and login using your mobile phone number.

Being able to access Wi-Fi only really makes sense if you don't have the 3G iPhone or if you desperately need access to something faster than the existing 3G signal.

Of course, it could also help a lot if you find yourself outside the 3G coverage area, or if you need to access something not possible over 3G (like accessing the iTunes music store).

Wi-Fi access to the AT&T network normally runs $19.95 a month, so this freebie certainly adds some more value to the monthly plan. Of course, AT&T is not the first to offer free hotspot access with their phones, T-Mobile offers a similar perk for Blackberry and G1 users with select data plans.

Via: Engadget.