Monday, April 30, 2012

For Investors Only: SeekingAlpha on ATT -- Absolutely Nothing To Do With The Bakken

Link here to the SeekingAlpha.com article. 

This is not an investment site; this is not a buy, sell, hold recommendation. I don't hold any shares in ATT but at least one family member does.

Also, this article on itsy-bitsy cell towers at CNNMoney.com

Meanwhile, somewhat related, this article caught my eye the other day:
Getting online while traveling has never been easier. Getting online for free is still hit-or-miss.

Travelers run into a patchwork of free vs. paid access as they trek from airports to planes to hotels. Speed also varies widely, from fast enough to stream a movie to just enough to send and receive email.

The good news: Free internet at airports is becoming more common. San Francisco, Dallas, and Minneapolis are adding free options after previously charging around $8 for access. Phoenix's international airport has long offered complimentary access.

Still, plenty of airports require travelers to whip out a credit card to get online, including the big ones in New York and Los Angeles. The agency that runs New York's three airports says it has no plans to offer free Wi-Fi. The exception is JFK's terminal 5, where JetBlue offers it. 
Considering one is "held captive" at airports, I find it amazing any airport offers free wi-fi. I was always impressed that SAT (San Antonio) was one of the first to offer free wi-fi; that was no doubt due to the fact that ATT was headquartered in San Antonio at that time (has since moved). 

Interestingly enough, and counterintuitive, ATT is asking its users to use free wi-fi when possible to take pressure off their system.

I don't have a smart phone, but I often pull out my iPad when traveling just to see where I can get free wi-fi. It's become somewhat of a parlour game for me, a treasure hunt as it were. Dunkin' Donuts followed Starbucks here in the Boston area with free wi-fi. Starbucks has more than ample outlets; DD none to very few. McDonald's almost always has free wi-fi, but again outlets are a challenge. The most exciting are public areas with free wi-fi, provided by the city or perhaps the carrier. Merchants benefit. My wife and I use the net all the time to find a particular restaurant or museum. My daughter and son-in-law use the net even more than we do for daily navigation.

But I digress.


1 comment:

  1. Great advice, thank you.

    On another note, it's been a long time since we've heard from you. Hope all is well and enjoying life.

    ReplyDelete