Just hours after AT&T announced free unlimited WiFi access for iPhone users all traces of the offer disappeared from the website.

AT&T recently took over WiFi access for Starbucks and some Barnes & Noble stores from network provider T-Mobile.

Last week iPhone users reported that they had been availing of free WiFi access at several branches of both stores by simply entering their phone number, though there had yet to be an official announcement from AT&T and sure enough a day later, the free WiFi was switched off. AT&T then requested a user name and password from customers at hotspots where they had surfed for free the previous day.

The AT&T website yesterday stated that iPhone users would have unlimited free access to all 17,000 AT&T WiFi hotspots including those located at Starbucks branches. The website noted (under “plans”) that all subscriber plans included unlimited AT&T WiFi access.

"Unlimited Data (e-mail and Web), 200 SMS text messages and access to AT&T’s more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hot spots, including Starbucks* all for use in the U.S. *Wi-Fi available at U.S. company operated Starbucks locations equipped with a hot spot”

However by 5pm CDT anything that might suggest iPhone owners could surf for free had disappeared from the website. We figure there have just been some crossed wires on when the service is supposed to launch; although that begs the question of how AT&T managed to switch the service on, switch it off, announce it and then pull it from the site before getting things in order.

At the time of print a spokesperson had yet to get back to us regarding the chopping and changing of information on the site but media reports suggest the company is remaining silent on the issue. We’ll keep you posted on what they say when they get back to us.

Source : Tom's Hardware