AT&T has announced that it would support auto-authentication for iPhone OS 3.0 users, connecting to its Wi-Fi Hot Spots. Auto-authentication allows iPhone users to switch from its 3G network to its Wi-Fi Hot Spot without being prompted.
The new process is expected to eliminate the previous two-step authentication, enabling iPhone customers to connect to its Wi-Fi at one go. Auto-connect is established once a customer connects his iPhone to an AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot, the first time. The company said that its customers with qualifying iPhone data plans have access to its Wi-Fi network that covers more than 20,000 US AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots.
According to the company, the addition of auto-authentication for iPhone users came at a time when Wi-Fi usage continues to experience growth, driven by the rise of Wi-Fi enabled devices. More than 4m connections were made at AT&T’s US Hot Spots with smartphones, including the iPhone 3G, in the first quarter of 2009 alone.
Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of mobility and consumer markets at AT&T, said: “Auto-authentication makes it even easier for iPhone customers to stay connected on the nation’s fastest 3G network and the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network. With access to our US hotspots, customers are receiving a great value, with a fast, reliable broadband connection virtually anywhere, through 3G or Wi-Fi.”
The new auto-authentication process is available to all existing iPhone and iPhone 3G customers who download the iPhone OS 3.0 software update via iTunes and would also be available to all iPhone 3G S customers once it goes on sale on June 19.
