I heard something about AT&T offering free Wireless Internet Access to it's Wireless Customers and I thought that it is probably too good to be true, so I went to the web site to check it out. I have been curious about wireless Internet services for a while but none of them offered a service that was suitable and affordable for my needs - A road warrior who doesn't really NEED Wireless Internet Access, but it's nice to be able to check email and check stock quotes once in a while.

The Plan
The description about the plan on their site was pretty clear. If you purchase one of the two (currently available) web enabled phones and sign up with one of many available voice plans for a year, you get free unlimited web access. This is called the Basic Plan and this gives you roughly 40 or so web sites (They have been adding sites from time to time). If you pay 6.99 a month(Plus Plan), you get the basic plus email - You get a unique email address and you can also access external POP or IMAP email. If you pay 14.99 a month(Premium Plan), you get all of the above plus calendar, contacts, to-do list and the ability to enter any URL. I have simplified the benefits, you'll get a better description at their web site.

I have to emphasize "Unlimited" Access. This I couldn't believe at first, but it really is true. It doesn't matter how long you surf, it's all included in your Free/6.99/14.99 plan. Other providers that I checked out either had a per minute charge or you were actually using your "free minutes" while you surfed. Since the speed of these services aren't all that fast (19K I think), you'll be surfing for many minutes without actually realizing it.

The Content
The web sites that come with the Basic and Plus plans are quite good. You get a good mix of most of the popular providers that you could possibly need - Weather, News, Finance, Shopping, Entertainment etc. I have my own list of favorites and haven't had the need for the Premium plan yet.

Usability
It was a little awkward to use my Mitsubishi phone at first, but I quickly learned the shortcuts and it's similar to learning to use a palm pc or the palm pilot. The menu based interface is easy to use and you will learn all the menu numbers you frequently use, thus limiting the need to scroll all the time.

The text entry is not easy, this might not be the best way to write email, but it's great for reading your mails and sending short and quick replies.

Access
I've only used this in and around Metro Boston. The coverage map shows that the service is available all over New England, but I haven't had the chance to try it anywhere else. I've had consistent signal strength and haven't had any access problems.

...and the catch
There aren't too many catches. First you're limited to only two phones at the moment. I used to love my Nokia, but I had to settle for a Mitsubishi this time. Its quality in the voice area doesn't match the superior quality of my old Nokia, but at the same time it's not horrible either.

The voice side of your phone is not usable when you're surfing and your calls will get rerouted to your voice mail.

Conclusion
I was already an AT&T Wireless customer, so all I needed to do was purchase a new web enabled phone and sign up for one year. They even gave me an $80 credit towards the new phone. It was a very attractive offer and I jumped on it (It also came with 30 day money back guarantee). I have used the service for about a month now and I've been very happy with it. I signed up for the Plus Plan because I absolutely need access to email on the go. I didn't really need all the extra stuff from the Premium Plan, but that's not a bad deal either. If you have access to this service in your area, I definitely recommend it. At least give it a try for the one month trial period.

For detailed information and latest updates, check out their <a href= http://www.attws.com/personal/explore/pocketnet/index.html >website </a>



Recommended: Yes