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AT&T, Fon Ink Overseas Wi-Fi Hotspot Deal

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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AT&T customers traveling abroad will now be able to access hundreds of thousands of additional hotspots.

The new international access comes as part of a deal AT&T struck with Spain's Fon, which claims to operate the world's largest Wi-Fi network. As part of the deal, AT&T customers can now access Fon's network of overseas hotspots, and Fon customers can tap into AT&T's Wi-Fi network, which includes more than 30,000 hotspots at restaurants, hotels, bookstores, and retailers across the U.S.

"Our agreement with Fon further expands our international Wi-Fi footprint making it easier for AT&T customers to stay connected to what matters most during their travels abroad," AT&T vice president of partnerships and alliances, JR Wilson, said in a statement.

But this expanded access will, of course, come at a hefty price. AT&T customers who wish to access the Fon hotspots will need to add a 300MB or 800MB global data package to their wireless plan, which will cost $60 or $120, respectively. After doing so, users are allocated 1GB of Wi-Fi each month before getting hit with overages.

Those who are OK with the price can access the hotspots through AT&T's Wi-Fi International App, which is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The agreement covers smartphones and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Earlier this year, AT&T inked a similar deal with Boingo, which provided AT&T customers with access to Boingo hotspots in international airports, but it came with the same service plan requirements.

The new international access comes after AT&T earlier this month completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of spectrum from Verizon Wireless. The arrangement was first announced in January, and is intended to help AT&T's rollout of its 4G LTE network, which has now launched in 405 markets.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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