AT&T Opens Starbucks Wi-Fi to iPhones

By Geoff Duncan May 1, 2008

There hasn’t been an official announcement from any of the companies involved, but now that AT&T has officially taken over operation of Starbucks’ in-store Wi-Fi hotspots, a raft of iPhone users are reporting that they can access Starbucks Wi-Fi access points free of charge. The system just requires users enter their phone number at a login screen in order to connect to the Starbucks access points.

Although free support for iPhone users in Starbucks locations wasn’t foreseen, it’s not very surprising: AT&T is offering free Wi-Fi to its residential broadband and business customers—including access through Starbucks locations. AT&T is also Apple’s exclusive U.S. distributor of the iPhone, and Apple and Starbucks already have an agreement in place that lets iPhone and iPod Touch users tap into the Wi-Fi version of the iTunes store. Offering iPhone users Wi-Fi access via Starbucks locations is a simple way for AT&T to encourage customer loyalty—especially with 3G iPhones right around the corner.

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Some reports indicate that users who can configure their Web browsers to pose as Mobile Safari can also access Starbucks’ Wi-Fi access points for free, although, if true, the loophole will no doubt will be short-lived.

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