AT&T will bring its first-ever free outdoor Wi-Fi hot spot online today in New York City’s Times Square, in an effort to battle the network traffic congestion caused by smartphone, and most prominently iPhone, users. The Wall Street Journal reports that pedestrians using AT&T smartphones will be able to connect over Wi-Fi at no charge when in range of the hot spot, which is located new 7th Ave.
between 45th and 47th Streets. “It’s a very large data off-load in a venue where traditionally data would go over our old voice and data network,” Mike Maus, who oversees AT&T’s New York network, told the WSJ.
AT&T also said it may expand the trial to up to three other U.S. cities; although it declined to say where, San Francisco would be a likely choice, given the company’s past congestion problems in the area.
