AT&T Disables Free iPhone Wi-Fi

Last week we brought the joyful news that AT&T had begun offering free WiFi access to iPhone users at its thousands of WiFi hotspots.

Today, we bring you the sad news that the party has been prematurely called off.

I myself started enjoying some free WiFi at my local Starbucks (mmmm java) last week, and have found that the sweet free nectar of the Internet Tubes has indeed been closed, leaving me parched and making do with EDGE while sipping my Grande Java Chip Frappuccino (with a shot of almond - oh how I miss you, Brownie Frappuccino...)

AT&T has declined to comment on why they pulled the service, but my conjecture is that the ease with which non-iPhone browsers were able to gain free WiFi access (through spoofing their browser's User Agent to look like an iPhone) may have something to do with the pullback.

No doubt we might see a stronger authentication method when the service comes back, probably by having AT&T iPhone users login using their AT&T online billing accounts.

Until then, I'll have to make do with sipping my Frapuccino in the library of the University where I work to sample the sweet nectar of the Tubes over WiFi.