Biz (2586)

AT&T buys hotspot provider Wayport

And creates world's largest hotspot network in the process

7 November 2008 17:04 GMT / By Katie Scott

AT&T has just splashed out $275 million in cash to purchase Wi-Fi hotspot operator Wayport.

The deal has now created the world's largest hotspot network.

Wayport, which started out by providing wired connections in hotel rooms in 1997, now operates about 13,000 hotspots through direct contracts.

This includes 10,000 McDonald's restaurants, as well as providing managed services to AT&T's consumer division so the Wi-Fi in Starbucks shops and Barnes & Noble bookstores.

For current AT&T customers signed up to the company's Basic Plan - this deal will mean access to 20,000 locations in the US as well as 3000 hotel, healthcare, and other locations in Wayport's network that were previously available only as part of a worldwide Premier package.

Full tags

Biz, Wayport, Broadband, Wi-Fi, hotspots, AT and T