AT&T: WiFi demand nearly tripled in last year

AT&T (NYSE: T) said it is seeing record demand from subscribers accessing its network of 29,000 WiFi hotspots, with users making a record 301.9 million WiFi connections during the third quarter. The company nearly tripled the number of WiFi connections it delivered in the last year, with the number of connections increasing by 282 percent compared to the third quarter of 2010.

AT&T WiFi promotion

With the number of consumers using mobile phones, tablet computers such as Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad and laptop computers to connect to the Internet, the data AT&T disclosed demonstrates why cable rivals such as Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) are increasing their investments in building WiFi hotspots. Time Warner Cable is investing $15 million to build WiFi hotspots in Southern California.

Cablevision, Time Warner Cable and Comcast offer cable modem subscribers free access to WiFi hotspots in the Northeast, and Cablevision has also said that it is testing how it may be able to use WiFi to offer mobile voice services to its customers.

AT&T said its customers are making 100 million connections to its WiFi network each month, or about 37 connections every second.

For more:
- see AT&T release

Commentary: How WiFi can hook triple-play subscribers

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