Will or won't AT&T offer free Wi-Fi hotspot service to iPhone and other smartphone users? That's been the question on many people's minds for a long time now, ever since the carrier promised such a service months and months ago. Well, an SMS message sent to iPhone users yesterday revealed that, yes - at last - the time as finally come for some free Wi-Fi love from AT&T.

The free Wi-Fi service doesn't end with Starbucks: AT&T is enabling iPhone users to connect to any of its 17,000 hotspot locations, which also include those at Barnes & Noble stores, among thousands of other places. It also isn't limiting the free Wi-Fi service to iPhone owners.

Starting on November 4th - when the smartphone launches - it'll be made available to BlackBerry Bold users with unlimited data plans. AT&T said it plans to bring free Wi-Fi support to the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 and the BlackBerry 8820 later this year as well, in addition to other mobile devices in the future.

Additional details, including instructions on how to access the hot spots, are available here.