Verizon Communications has had a change of heart about using Wi-Fi to extend its wireless broadband offering as the company announces free access to Wi-Fi hot spots for its Fios and DSL Internet customers.

Verizon experimented with deploying its own Wi-Fi hot spots several years ago in New York, but dismantled them.

On Monday the company announced that customers subscribed to its Verizon Fios Internet service with 20Mbps per second downstream and 15Mbps upstream or faster and customers who subscribe to its 3Mbps/768 Kbps or higher DSL service will be able to connect to Verizon Wi-Fi hot spots, at no additional charge as part of their broadband service.

Verizon has partnered with the Wi-Fi service Boingo to offer access in thousands of locations throughout the U.S. including hotels, airports, restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, convention centers and public locations across the U.S.

The company has a Web page where customers can locate these Verizon hot spots. For example, in New York City, the service is available at many Barnes & Noble bookstores, as well as at JFK airport, and in some Starbucks locations.

I am sure this is the first of other free Wifi coming along. Actually Internet should be free anyways.