Yes, Times Square is likely the most densely-packed spot in America for AT&T usage. So the fact that AT&T is turning on free WiFi to take some demands off their 3G servers in the heart of Manhattan makes sense. But this will not likely spark a WiFi revolution, as everyone knows it is easy to overload fragile routers as well (see any Apple-centric conference).

But AT&T admits their network in New York City is under-powered and over-extended. They are doing things to improve their overall service (improving HSDPA+ service throughout the country; providing unlock codes for their phones). They really have nowhere to go but up, and the WiFi addition is certainly a start.

But this doesn’t help anyone except tourists; though, indirectly, this will alleviate the load of other, connected 3G towers. Hopefully it will improve things. And it’s free.

Good for them, let’s see where they go from here.

(via Mobile Crunch)