I’m just going to chalk this news up to the fact that AT&T is tired of all the bad press and bad rap it gets for its subpar network and service. Even if it really is just a way to help its tarnished image, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.

To what am I referring? Well, according to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (via The New York Times), the city will soon be offering free Wi-Fi in 20 of its parks.

AT&T will power the service, which will be available later this Summer in various spots including Prospect Park, Battery Park, and Central Park. That’s a great development and a progressive idea which will no doubt be welcome by residents and visitors alike.

The public will have ad-free access to the free networks for at least the next five years. What happens in five years is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the Wi-Fi explodes at that time? No, probably not.

Also, no word on if this new initiative will improve phone reception in New York for anyone dumb enough to still be on AT&T. My guess is no, it won’t.

Here’s one gift that Mac and PC users can both enjoy. Google, everyone’s favorite search giant, announced this week that during the holiday season, it is sponsoring free Wi-Fi at 47 airports around the United States, as well as on every Virgin America flight. This all starts now and ends January 15th.

In addition, Google has set up a way for travelers at each airport to donate to charities Engineers Without Borders, the One Economy Corporation and Climate Savers Computing Initiative while enjoying its generous gift of free Internet access. Google will also match each airports donations up to $250,000 and will also give the most generous airport $15,000 for the charity of its choosing.

Full details, including a list of airports, the contest and the charity drive, can be found at FreeHolidayWiFi.com. Fortunately, I don’t plan on doing much travelling during the holidays but this is still something that may people will take advantage of. So, no matter if you’re a fan of Google or not, its still a nice thing when you get something for free — especially during the holidays.