AT&T signs roaming deal with The Cloud to offer customers access to 16,000 free WiFi spots in the UK

In an effort to provide more connectivity when its customers travel outside the US, AT&T has signed a deal with BSkyB-owned WiFi hotspot provider The Cloud to offer up to 1GB per month free of charge when they visit the UK.

The deal will see AT&T customers become eligible to connect to over 16,000 locations across the UK using the operator’s WiFi International app. Although AT&T is likely to appeal to business users or those that travel to the UK regularly, the need to subscribe to a data add-on just to connect to a WiFi hotpsot may leave a sour taste.

Obviously, by taking out a data plan, customers aren’t really getting it free of charge. That said, it will still be very useful to those wishing to make Skype calls home or need to download bigger files over a more reliable connection.

The Cloud continues to add venues to its expanding WiFi network, vying for the title as the UK’s biggest hotspot provider. It faces competition from telecommunications giant BT, while even UK banks are launching their own services in their branches.

AT&T’s WiFi International app is available on both the App Store and Google Play. If you are visiting the UK soon and already have a data bundle in place, download the app and make sure you take advantage of your free 1GB WiFi allowance when you can.