69 replies to this topic

[Dave Burrell]

Even AT&T says AT&T can't handle the iPhone

It's unanimous then. Everybody agrees iPhone shouldn't be exclusive to AT&T Mike Elgan September 8, 2009 (Computerworld)

Most iPhone users oppose Apple's exclusivity arrangement with AT&T, and have since the beginning.

Competitive carriers, such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile, didn't like being shut out of the iPhone phenomenon.

The FCC isn't thrilled, either. The agency is looking into Apple's exclusive relationship with the carrier.

And Apple has got to be unhappy. AT&T failed to support multimedia messaging (MMS) and tethering (using a phone as a laptop modem) now that iPhone itself supports those features. (AT&T finally said last week it would add MMS starting Sept. 25, although there's still no date for tethering.) Apple's best customers complain about AT&T's lousy service and misinformed salespeople. Apple worked hard to perfect the iPhone experience, and AT&T is wrecking it.

This week, even AT&T itself started complaining about the burdens of serving as the only U.S. carrier for iPhone.

It's unanimous. Everybody hates Apple's exclusivity arrangement with AT&T. Even AT&T.

AT&T blames users for its lousy service

While iPhone users complain about AT&T's "dropped calls, spotty service, delayed text and voice messages and glacial download speeds," according to a piece published last week in the New York Times, AT&T blames iPhone users. "Overnight we're seeing a radical shift in how people are using their phones," AT&T CTO John Donovan told the Times. "There's just no parallel for the demand." Donovan told Fortune magazine that "3G networks were not designed effectively for this kind of usage."

And, as a BusinessWeek article makes clear, there's no way AT&T will be able to meet the traffic demands of iPhone users any time in the next few years. (The article also confirms that AT&T has deliberately delayed MMS and tethering because it simply can't handle the traffic.)

An article in the Wall Street Journal last week even has AT&T complaining about the $400 subsidy it has to pay for each iPhone sold.

Blaming users might convince some critics, but my questions to AT&T are: So why did you take the job? And why do you take my money? After all, it's not as if iPhone fans were clamoring for Apple to sign with you exclusively. You "won the contract" against the wishes of the iPhone user community. Now deliver!

And although AT&T is fishing for sympathy now, the story just one fiscal quarter ago was that AT&T's profits were "boosted by iPhone," and that the iPhone was helping the carrier weather the recession better than most. "The base of iPhone customers is now large enough to offset the subsidies for new iPhone users," Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said back in April. What happened in the past three months to change all that?

Besides, AT&T acts like a company with money to burn. AT&T reportedly spent $8.2 million in the first half of this year lobbying Congress. The company is expected to spend more on lobbying this year than it did last year -- money that could be spent improving network performance.

In fact, AT&T is the No. 1 political contributor in the nation, spending an incredible $43.5 million since 1989 to buy influence in government. AT&T complains that it doesn't have the money to service its iPhone monopoly, while at the same time spending more than every other company on currying favor in Washington. That doesn't make sense.

The solution isn't government regulation, but for Apple to save its most valuable product by offering it on as many carriers as possible. That would spread the "burden" of iPhone traffic across multiple carriers; enable users to switch carriers that provide bad coverage, service, networking performance or pricing; and let iPhone users enjoy "family-plan" pricing that includes their non-iPhone family members. Competition works.

One analyst predicts that the iPhone will be offered on other carriers next year. But that's just some dude talkin'. I would like to see Apple announce the expansion of support beyond AT&T as soon as possible. Wednesday would be nice.

I don't think an exclusive Apple relationship with AT&T serves iPhone users. I'll bet you don't either. The FCC sure doesn't. The other carriers don't. Even Apple probably doesn't think so.

And now, the piece de resistance: Even AT&T admits that it can't handle the iPhone all by itself.

Apple: Tear up that contract!

[mylo]

Didn't they just renew the contract?

[nhardy]

I think there is a year left in the contract, but could be wrong.

I agree that ATT is horrible. Adding MMS will be nice though. Jailbroken phones can now support other carriers like T-Mobile, but not sure how much better they are then ATT.

All carriers are the same though. Verizon is just as bad with RIM. They cannot sync data and voice within the same application whereas ATT can.

[Darthvader]

Mine works fine. No dropped calls, great internet connection, it all works great. Everyone I know seems happy as well.

Anyone else happy?

[Dave Burrell]

Mine works fine. No dropped calls, great internet connection, it all works great. Everyone I know seems happy as well.

Anyone else happy?

Same here, I've never had problems. I'm guessing they're talking about users in major metropolitan areas where the network congestion is likely 100x's more then here

hey you guys all know you can tether your phones with 3.0 now without needing to jailbreak it right?

[mylo]

I have seemingly constant problems with MMS and Tethering on AT&T.

I also drop calls all the time on 50 just east of E. Bidwell.

I also get no reception at all at my desk.

[nhardy]

I also get no reception at all at my desk.

Try raising your desk about 18" and turning it slightly east. Works like a charm

[rpo]

I have seemingly constant problems with MMS and Tethering on AT&T.

I also drop calls all the time on 50 just east of E. Bidwell.

I also get no reception at all at my desk.

You mean at the top of the hill going into EDH? If so, they have had that problem for a decade. I drop calls there 100% of the time. It is due to another carrier having the frequency rights in EDH and a bit further east, so you are leaving AT&T's range. The hand-off to that other company's tower does not work, so the call gets dropped. Typically, the signal on thw phone goes to full the moment AFTER the call gets dropped from my experience there.

As for the iphone not working well, I have noticed a significant decline in bandwidth over the past couple of months, plus frequent network not available errors in the Folsom area.

[eVader]

I have seemingly constant problems with MMS and Tethering on AT&T.

I also drop calls all the time on 50 just east of E. Bidwell.

I also get no reception at all at my desk.

The Sac Co.\El Dorado Co. line from White Rock to Folsom Lake is bad.. It is almost as if the cell towers can accurately know where the county line is and drop EVERY call when passing through. Happens on every ATT phone from dumb regular phone to PalmOS to WM to iPhone

In building coverage is tough regardless of carrier. Buildings are becoming Faraday cages

[eVader]

While I agree with some of the points of the article, I find fault in a few areas.

ATT I believe was strategically selected because it is US based (better to work through new issues domestically), has a large customer and coverage base and the $$$ to execute deployment\marketing. T-Mo and lesser known GSM based carriers couldnt touch it. Using GSM vs. CDMA carriers allows Apple to springboard from ATT to other carriers worldwide (CDMA "springboard" would amount to a few carriers in Sprint, BoostIndia, Brazil, small pocket in Germany and China

Data usage comparisons with iPhone vs. Nokia\Palm\Windows Mobile smartphones is big as noted in the article. Fortunately some of ATTs problems are lessened with free wifi hotspot access especially since they took over the Starbucks hotspot contract. What is say that if Apple had a CDMA based iPhone that it too wouldnt cripple the VZW network? Do they have the bandwidth or alternate data connections like free wifi? Could be interesting when if Apple launches a CDMA iPhone.

[dlutz]

Same here, I've never had problems. I'm guessing they're talking about users in major metropolitan areas where the network congestion is likely 100x's more then here

hey you guys all know you can tether your phones with 3.0 now without needing to jailbreak it right?

So far so good for me here in Folsom as well.

Now as for tethering, do you have some secret I haven't been able to find? Do Tell!

[Dave Burrell]

So far so good for me here in Folsom as well.

Now as for tethering, do you have some secret I haven't been able to find? Do Tell!

AT&T doesn't want you to know this (yet) but 3.0 has Tethering built-in. No need to jail break the iphone to get this feature.

Here's the info about it: http://www.pcmag.com...,2349349,00.asp

Here's the instructional video on how exactly to make it work:
The video is dorky but listen to the kid, his instructions are spot on.

I set it up on mine and it works great!

[Allen]

AT&T doesn't want you to know this (yet) but 3.0 has Tethering built-in. No need to jail break the iphone to get this feature.

Here's the info about it: http://www.pcmag.com...,2349349,00.asp

Here's the instructional video on how exactly to make it work:
The video is dorky but listen to the kid, his instructions are spot on.

I set it up on mine and it works great!

I LOVE my iPhone! Dave - can you tether with OS 3.1?

[dlutz]

Thanks Dave.

I couldn't get it to work, no tethering option in the network settings.

It looks like he's still working on a mobile config for the 3.1 firmware. I'll check back in a couple of days and see if he's got it working.

[Dave Burrell]

I LOVE my iPhone! Dave - can you tether with OS 3.1?

Yes you can - it works with all versions of iphones as long as they have 3.0 or better.
Check out the youtube video for instructions on how to set it up - it works great, you'll love your iphone even more now