AT&T Announces Auto-Authentication for iPhone Users

Dallas-based wireless carrier AT&T has announced today that iPhone OS 3.0 users who will connect to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots will be able to enjoy auto-authentication support. According to the company, the announced support will allow iPhone users to switch between AT&T's 3G network and AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots without being prompted.

The new process is meant to eliminate that previously existing two-step authentication, which means that iPhone customers will be able to connect to AT&T Wi-Fi much easier and, at the same time, faster than before. According to the company, the auto-connect option is enabled as soon as users connect their devices to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot for the first time. In addition, the carrier also announced that iPhone users will be able to enjoy more than 20,000 U.S. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots all around the country.

“Auto-authentication makes it even easier for iPhone customers to stay connected on the nation's fastest 3G network and the nation's largest Wi-Fi network,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With access to our U.S. hotspots, customers are receiving a great value, with a fast, reliable broadband connection virtually anywhere, through 3G or Wi-Fi.”

The auto-authentication for iPhone users has been added given the fact that Wi-Fi usage sees a continuous growth, thanks to devices that support the technology being largely available on the market. The wireless operator says that more than 4 million connections made via smartphones such as the iPhone were registered at its U.S. Hot Spots in the first quarter of the ongoing year.

All iPhone and iPhone 3G users who already installed the iPhone OS 3.0 will be able to enjoy the newly introduced auto-authentication process. Users who will acquire the new iPhone 3G S will also benefit from the new process, as soon as the handset becomes available for purchase on June 19, the operator says. More details can be found here.