14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier AT&T announced impressive increase in the Wi-Fi usage on its network. According to the company, the growth was fueled by an increase in the number of customers with Wi-Fi enabled smartphones and devices, in addition to an important growth in the number of businesses and venues that offer Wi-Fi access for their customers.
“In the second quarter, AT&T handled 68.1 million connections on its public Wi-Fi network — up from 15 million connections in the second quarter of 2009. Customers have made 121.2 million connections in the first half of 2010, already far surpassing the 85.5 million connections made in all of 2009. Wi-Fi usage has seen steady and significant growth each quarter, including a nearly 30 percent increase from the first to second quarter of 2010,” the wireless carrier announced.
For comparison, a number of 20 million connections were made on the AT&T Wi-Fi network during the entire year 2008. The same number of connections was achieved during the first half of the last year, the carrier announced, adding that it took only five weeks for this level to be reached in 2010. According to the wireless carrier, Wi-Fi is seen as a complementary solution for the company's wired and 3G wireless networks. AT&T's Wi-Fi network is the largest in the US, with a number of more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots.
“The extraordinary growth in Wi-Fi usage is yet another indication of customers’ reliance on mobile broadband and of the many benefits that venues receive by making Wi-Fi available to their customers and employees,” said Angie Wiskocil, senior vice president, AT&T Wi-Fi Services. “We’re proud that our AT&T Wi-Fi network delivers the convenient locations, speed and quality to keep so many customers connected to what matters most to them.”
The mobile phone carrier is also interested in finding various ways in which 3G traffic and mobile data use are high. During the second quarter of the ongoing year, the company rolled-out a pilot Wi-Fi hotzone in New York City’s Times Square, offering customers the possibility to stay connected in one of the busiest locations around the world. The company intends to deploy similar solutions in various areas around the United States.
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