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AT&T unveils public Wi-Fi solution for small businesses

AT&T Wi-Fi—Small Site can be installed by customer

Targeting the consumer expectation of free Wi-Fi, AT&T on March 26 announced its Small Site solution, which is designed to provide easy deployment and cost-effective connectivity to small businesses.

The new product comes in two models: one that is solely a public Wi-Fi hotspot, the second also includes a 4G/LTE connection. Both Small Site models provide network use metrics and URL filtering.

“Wi-Fi demand is at an all-time high,” President of AT&T Wi-Fi Services Sarita Rao said in a prepared statement.

“People want to be connected, whether they’re waiting for their car to be fixed, shopping in a local store or sitting in their favorite café. AT&T Wi-Fi—Small Site makes it simple for small businesses to offer Internet service to customers, giving businesses the freedom to focus on what they love most.”

The Small Site solutions create a public Wi-Fi hotspot, include public and private network names, network reporting features and other controls.

The devices run off of an existing connection, which needs throughput of at least 6 Mbps. The product will also be offered as part of AT&T’s small business bundles.

One example of a deployment is at the Dallas, Texas-based Oil & Vinegar gourmet food store.

Owner Cheryl Kobza said her business dropped the system “several weeks” ago.

“We believe that offering free Wi-Fi will encourage our customers to interact more with us on social channels and we are excited to share new recipes and new ingredients while they browse through the store.”

A recent report from market analysis firm ABI Research tallies a total of 5.69 million public Wi-Fi hotspots currently deployed worldwide by mobile and fixed-line carriers, as well as third-party service providers.

Figuring for a compounded annual growth rate of 11.2%, ABI Research projects that figure will grow to 13.3 million public Wi-Fi hot spots by 2020.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief
Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief
Sean focuses on multiple subject areas including 5G, Open RAN, hybrid cloud, edge computing, and Industry 4.0. He also hosts Arden Media's podcast Will 5G Change the World? Prior to his work at RCR, Sean studied journalism and literature at the University of Mississippi then spent six years based in Key West, Florida, working as a reporter for the Miami Herald Media Company. He currently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.