iPhone customers report AT&T sending WiFi SMS reminder
Several readers are reporting that they've gotten SMS messages from AT&T reminding them of the long-awaited "free wireless at Starbucks" plan. First announced in February with a target launch of 'spring 2008,' the service has been quietly running on and off since April, including two hours of daily access at any Starbucks store or AT&T hotspot. T-Mobile users who have existing hotspot accounts are supposed to have ongoing access to the network in Starbucks stores.Thanks to everyone who sent this in
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sam said 12:47PM on 10-29-2008
just got it... pretty cool!
Reply
Maricar said 10:21PM on 10-29-2008
received SMS 12:02 pm PT, Torrance, CA. I wonder if it works on my prepaid plan (iPhone 8GB 1st Gen) ... It should since they sent the message. Will see ...
Jack Chance said 3:42PM on 10-30-2008
i got mine at 3:20pm EST on Oct 30
Leo said 12:50PM on 10-29-2008
Thanks for reporting my tweet Michael. Good to know u guys are alive on Twitter.
Reply
Michael Rose said 1:02PM on 10-29-2008
Thank you for the heads-up!
Hunter said 12:56PM on 10-29-2008
Just got it too a few mins ago.
Reply
Hunter said 1:00PM on 10-29-2008
My real question is how are they deciding? Is it just going by the mobile safari user agent string, or are they going to filter by MAC address too. The former would be nice, but awfully easy to exploit, I would imagine they want your phone number so they could tell you at least have an iPhone plan with them.
David Patterson said 12:59PM on 10-29-2008
I just received one at 12:42 eastern.
Reply
carsten said 1:03PM on 10-29-2008
i just got a text, interesting is that it says that the free access is not limited to Starbucks locations, but it more or less sounds like free access across the ATT wifi network.
Reply
Darla said 1:03PM on 10-29-2008
AT&T has been spotty at my nearby Starbucks. And as far as free AT&T wifi, it only works for selected websites. I can access iTunes and Starbucks site, but while trying to login in to Typepad the AT&T screen came up requesting that I enter my login credentials.
Reply
Hunter said 1:04PM on 10-29-2008
Some pictures on flickr (and it does check for account by #):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmc/2984219124/
Reply
johnmc said 1:07PM on 10-29-2008
Hey! That's me! I stumbled across it completely accidentally on my morning coffee stop.
Jason Martin said 1:06PM on 10-29-2008
I haven't received an SMS yet, but I was in Starbucks yesterday, and there was no such option available there yet. I ended up using my AT&T home phone login information, which gives me free WiFi access. I looked for a free iPhone plan, but there was none.
Reply
Dave said 1:08PM on 10-29-2008
I'm not sure how it is in the States, but in Canada as long as one has a valid Starbucks (gift) card with a bit of money on it, we can get 2-hours of free wifi at Starbucks by punching in the gift card number on the hotspot welcome page.
I usually keep a couple dollars on one card so I can use it with my iPhone up here. Too bad the iPhone has trouble remember form information. :-\
Reply
George said 1:15PM on 10-29-2008
These are the access instructions, straight from AT&T's website:
__iPhone users, get started with Wi-Fi__
1. Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
2. Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks
3. Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue'
4. You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
5. The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
6. Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot
Interesting points: access is tied to your phone number; no charge for the text message (thank you AT&T, how generous); 24-hour access to that hotspot. The last point is most interesting. Earlier reports, from what I remember anyway, suggested that a given device would have access for only two hours per day. This wording suggests that one's access will not, in fact, be time limited. I wonder if this true.
Second curious question, I wonder if it's still possible to spoof a user agent to get your laptop online for free. Let's say you use your iPhone to request an access SMS. Will you be able to manually copy over that access-code/URL into your Mac's browser and get online that way? Just wondering...
But really it's too bad that Starbucks can't see the light and won't provide free open access like most every other coffee shop in America (world?). Some people argue that you get a bunch of free-loaders in the store, leeching the internet. To that I say, who cares! In fact, it's also known that a busy-appearing coffee shop attracts more new customers than an empty coffee shop (and I expect that this trend translates to other dining establishments as well, but I've only researched coffee shops). Therefore, as a coffee shop owner, you'd rather have a bunch of free-loading non-coffee-drinking, non-purchasing people camped out in your store than not. Why? Because you'll still make more sales. Such a place is much more attractive to the window-shopper and spur-of-the-moment patron than an empty store.
How did I start on this rant? I'll move on now... :)
(http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/internet/accessing-wifi.jsp)
Reply
Lucas said 11:41AM on 10-31-2008
at one point, you could get a 2 hour access password at starbucks when you made a purchase. don't know if they still do that.
the difference in this case is that you actually don't have to buy anything. I have a starbucks next door to my workplace and I have an iphone. I can send the request, get the text and have wifi access during my breaks.
Hickeroar said 1:23PM on 10-29-2008
iPhone user here, no text message.
Reply
Pedro Vera said 1:41PM on 10-29-2008
Got my SMS at 12:42 PM Eastern.
Reply
Guy in Boston said 2:06PM on 10-29-2008
Nothing here.
Reply
Bryan said 2:15PM on 10-29-2008
I'm at starbucks now. When I got here I enables their wifi then opened mobile safari. I put in my phone number in when it asked me and I got a text message with a HTML code in it. I clicked on that and I was in. It allowed me to use their Internet on any app I had. Yeah!
Reply