The InformationWeek -- Blogs

Over The Air

Topics:   Mobile

  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • Print this page Print this page
  • Bookmark and Share
  • icon

AT&T Taken To Task Over 3G Wireless Network Issues


Posted by Eric Zeman, Mar 17, 2009 09:39 AM

Over the weekend, hordes of SXSW attendees overloaded AT&T's wireless network in Austin, Texas, with their iPhones and other 3G-enabled devices. In response, AT&T doubled its network capacity in the city in a matter of hours. Why wasn't AT&T's network capable of handling the demand in the first place?


When the iPhone 3G launched in July 2008, it was pretty clear from the start that there were lots of problems related to its ability to access AT&T's 3G network. Apple -- not AT&T -- took the fall, and in September issued a major firmware update for the 3G iPhone that "fixed" the iPhone's ability to connect to AT&T's 3G network. Which company was really to blame for the iPhone fiasco?

Om Malik, chief writer for GigaOm, targets AT&T, and wants to know: Why won't it own up to its 3G network issues? In a blog posted yesterday, Malik said, "AT&T keeps denying that it has any network bandwidth problems and continued its state of denial in an article in the New York Times this past weekend. Kristin S. Rinne, senior VP of architecture and planning for AT&T, blamed the phones and the chipsets on handsets for some of the problems." At the same time, SXSW was kicking off in Austin. Om continues, "AT&T’s network choked and suddenly everyone was up in arms. And then Ma Bell got in touch with Stacey [Higginbotham, who contributes to GigaOm], who reported that AT&T was boosting its network capacity."

AT&T operates its network in the 850- to 1,900-MHz bands across the United States. Cell phones sold by AT&T can access either band. Between the two slices of spectrum, AT&T has major portions of the U.S. covered, so cell phones will work wherever it has either 850- or 1,900-MHz spectrum.

In Austin, AT&T was using just the 1,900-MHz band. In response to the outcry by SXSW attendees, AT&T doubled its network capacity in Austin by firing up the 850-MHz band on eight different towers that cover downtown Austin. This spectrum had been used for AT&T's analog network, and, according to Malik, AT&T will be turning on 850 MHz in San Francicso and New York City at some point later this year to add to its 3G capacity in those markets.

It was nice of AT&T to respond to this clear demand for bandwidth, but the question is, why wasn't the bandwidth there in the first place? Malik contends that AT&T is knowingly selling 3G devices that it doesn't necessarily have the capacity to support.

Is AT&T selling under false pretenses? Should the FCC get involved?

To date, AT&T has vigorously defended the capacity of its network, despite the highly public issues it has faced in the last year.

AT&T is forgetting that sometimes transparency is better than recalcitrance.

« Rackspace Heads Into The Cloud And Beyond | Main | HTC CEO: 'At Least Three' More Android Phones This Year »



Sign Up Now
For InformationWeek News Alerts




This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.




 
Mobile Video


Sign Up For The Over The Air Newsletter
Every Friday, our experts and analysts explore the business, strategy, and management issues most important to mobile and wireless technology.

Sign up for our free, weekly newsletter today!

Newsletter Archives


 

  1. Detecting Scalability Problems With Intel Parallel Universe Portal
  2. Just Say No To SFAQL Parallelism
  3. QuickThread: A New C++ Multicore Library


Join The InformationWeek Group On LinkedIn


                           


  1. AT&T's iPhone Stranglehold Ending June 2010?
  2. Will Android Survive?
  3. Top Wireless Turkeys Of 2009
  4. Apple Steps Into AT&T-Verizon Ad War


  1. HP Earnings Up 14% In 4Q
  2. Microsoft Bing Cashback Not Always A Bargain
  3. Google Buys Ad Start-Up Teracent
  4. Feds Launch Health IT Blog
  5. Full Nelson: Video: San Francisco Goes Open, Transparent
  6. AOL Previews Brand, Trims Workforce

 

  Ars Technica
Boing Boing
Channel 9 Forums
CRN Blogs
Dr.Dobb's Portal: Blogs
Engadget
Gizmodo
GrokLaw
  Lifehacker
Schneier on Security
Slashdot
TechCrunch
Techdirt
Techmeme
Valleywag

  DECEMBER 2008
NOVEMBER 2008
OCTOBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
AUGUST 2008
JULY 2008
JUNE 2008
MAY 2008
  APRIL 2008
MARCH 2008
FEBRUARY 2008
JANUARY 2008
DECEMBER 2007
NOVEMBER 2007
OCTOBER 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007