For the first three months of 2009, AT&T reported 10.5 million Wi-Fi connections, more than triple the amount for the first quarter of 2008, and more than half of all the 20 million total Wi-Fi connections in all of 2008. A connection is each time a user activates a device to reach the Internet via Wi-Fi.

Last year, AT&T began supporting nearly 20,000 hot spots in the U.S., including many Starbucks locations that formerly . It also supports about 80,000 global hot spots through roaming agreements, a spokeswoman said. Wayport Inc., which , began operating as AT&T Wi-Fi services in the first quarter, adding hot spots from retail, hospitality and health care facilities.

In addition to more hot spots, AT&T broadband connections through wired and wireless LaptopConnect cards grew by 471,000 in the first quarter to 16.7 million users. Wi-Fi access with AT&T is free with certain qualifying plans.

AT&T also cited growth in Wi-Fi-ready devices, such as the Sony Cybershot digital camera with a Web browser and free access to AT&T Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi embedded mini-laptops such as the Acer Aspire One, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and Mini 12, and the LG Xenia.

About 4 million connections in the first quarter came from smartphones, including the iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Bold.