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Apple and AT&T announced the cost of a voice and “data” plan today for the iPhone, with nary a mention of Wi-Fi: Remember Wi-Fi? Remember how every demonstration of the iPhone’s browsing, mapping, and email features are conducted via Wi-Fi, not the slower EDGE data service also built into an iPhone? Remember the promise of seamless EDGE-to-Wi-Fi and back roaming with no disruption in the delivery of data during that transition? Remember how goddamn slow EDGE is—about three times faster than the best analog dial-up, weighing in north of 150 Kpbs in ideal cases?
Apple and AT&T are hoping you don’t quite remember that well. After you drop $500 or $600 on the iPhone, and pay $50 on up for an unlimited “data” plan—unlimited EDGE data—you’re stuck high and dry without Wi-Fi hotspot access. AT&T WiFi is the company’s large, managed and aggregated network with what I believe is 10,000 locations at last count: 8,000 McDonald’s picked up from Wayport and 2,000 other locations (managed by Wayport), such as The UPS Store. They offer this for $2 per month to their landline DSL customers.
And no word whatsoever about how iPhone users will access Wi-Fi when not on a home or friend’s network. The little High Technology page that shows wireless features of the iPhone says, “iPhone automatically finds and connects to trusted Wi-Fi networks so you can surf the Web at blazing speeds.” Trusted. Huh.
Because seamless connections to hotspots require custom software—software that a third party can’t install on an iPhone yet—iPhone owners who want to use hotspots will have to connect, use the browser, and login, too. You’d think they would have thought of this, given the availability of Wi-Fi on and off AT&T’s own network.
Mac OS X has built-in corporate Wi-Fi networking support for 802.1X/WPA Enterprise, which allows secure access to networks protected with that standard. I don’t know of any corporation that wouldn’t choose to use 802.1X, as it assigns unique encryption keys to each log-in session. There’s no word on support for that, either.
Posted by Glennf at June 26, 2007 12:48 PM
Categories: Hot Spot, PDAs, Phones
TrackBack URL for this entry:
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I really just want a widescreen video iPod. Not sure if I'd even buy phone service. But the iPhone is a far more useful and valuable device with mobile WiFi. And mobile WiFi has been a problem from the moment some idiot came up with the brilliant idea that you could sell it like bottled tap water.
- - - - If I lived in a city with municipal WiFi, I'd probably go out and buy an iPhone. After paying for WiFi once or twice via hotels, I'm never going that route again - paying to make a free convenience as inconvenient as possible. And that makes the iPhone something that requires a lot more research and consideration.
Posted by: BooRadley ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wifinetnews.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 29, 2007 2:10 AM