Apple is expected to announce Verizon Wireless a carrier for its upcoming tablet and the end of AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity, according to the NYPost.

Apple is expected to name Verizon Wireless as one of its carriers with its anticipated unveiling of a new tablet device on Wednesday, sources told The Post. That means Apple head Steve Jobs will probably introduce a Verizon iPhone, ending AT&T’s exclusive hold on the hot smartphone.
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Citing an anonymous “inside source,” HotHardware has reported AT&T could lose their iPhone exclusivity on Wednesday, when Apple is also expected to introduce its long-awaited touchscreen tablet.

The report does not go as far as to claim what other U.S. carriers could offer the iPhone. But a source allegedly told the Web site that AT&T is “tired of taking the heat” for poor reception from iPhone users. In short, the report claims, AT&T officials believe the iPhone is hurting the company’s image, and they are no longer interested in having exclusive access to Apple’s handset.
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BoyGeniusReport has heard that AT&T is meeting individually with regional executives to inform them of changes to the AT&T network.

What have we heard? Well, for starters, they seem to be focused on prepping the network to compensate for unannounced devices and also future devices that will use “heavy data.” What about tethering options? AT&T has said that changes to current data plans and tethering plans (or availability) will change when the network is able to “sufficiently handle the load.”

Although vague, this information corroborates reports that the tablet could have 3G network capabilities.

[Via iclarified.com]

AT&T today announced new unlimited plans across all its devices including the iPhone.

“With more than twice the number of smartphone customers as our nearest competitor, we are committed to offering great value and choice for customers who want to talk, text and surf on the nation’s fastest 3G network,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Our new plans reflect customers’ continuing desire to do more with their phones – including talking and browsing the Web at the same time. Plus these new plans make it even more attractive to choose AT&T which already offers customers the best 3G experience and the industry’s most popular and innovative devices.”
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AT&T has completed the software upgrade that prepares the 3G Network for 7.2 speeds. Once additional backhaul is deployed throughout 2010 and 2011, users should notice a speed increase. The backhaul addition has already begun in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami. Remember, only the iPhone 3GS supports 7.2 speeds, the iPhone 3G does not.

Software Upgrade Sets Stage for Faster 3G Speeds, Enhanced Mobile Data Performance to Come with Capacity Upgrades Planned for 2010-2011

AT&T* today announced completion of a software upgrade at 3G cell sites nationwide that prepares the nation’s fastest 3G network for even faster speeds.
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Facing intense criticism of its mobile network coverage from a variety of sources, AT&T has both failed to deploy its iPhone tethering strategy and to successfully get its 3G MicroCell product into widespread distribution.

New tethering services would exacerbate AT&T’s existing network capacity problems, but availability of the 3G MicroCell would help to solve localized service holes for the company. The product is still confined to limited testing in just a few cities, which perplexingly do not include the two markets that are so infamous in terms of poor service that AT&T’s CEO has made apologetic remarks addressing them directly: New York City and San Francisco. Read more…

AT&T has resumed taking iPhone orders from New York City residents through its website after blocking the sale of the handsets to New Yorkers this past weekend for reasons the carrier has been unwilling to explain in detail.

The sales suspension drew hundreds of headlines from technology websites on Monday, fueling suspicions that the move was yet another sign that the exclusive US iPhone carrier was unable to support the brunt of the handset’s popularity in dense metropolitan areas.
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What kind of Christmas present is this? The Consumerist is reporting that AT&T has stopped selling the iPhone in the New York metropolitan area, at least via the company’s website, due to high data congestion (or possibly due to online fraud). Update: While Consumerist’s post still cites ‘network congestion’ as the reason for the NYC sales hold, we’ve been told by other customer service reps that the real reason is a spike in fraudulent purchases; other sites have gotten the same story.
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An AT&T executive this week made comments to assure customers that the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S. will not implement tiered data plans.

The comments from Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of mobility and consumer markets, came just a week after the AT&T official said the company would likely provide incentives to encourage bandwidth-hogging customers to “reduce or modify their usage.” What kind of incentives were never made clear, though de la Vega said it is inevitable that high-bandwidth users will be charged for what they consume.
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Fake Steve has announced Operation Chokehold, at attempt to overwhelm AT&T’s network and let the company know that customers are not happy with their ‘bastardly behavior‘.

Subject: Operation Chokehold
On Friday, December 18, at noon Pacific time, we will attempt to overwhelm the AT&T data network and bring it to its knees. The goal is to have every iPhone user (or as many as we can) turn on a data intensive app and run that app for one solid hour. Send the message to AT&T that we are sick of their substandard network and sick of their abusive comments. The idea is we’ll create a digital flash mob. We’re calling it in Operation Chokehold. Join us and speak truth to power!

Its unclear if anyone will actually participate in this operation considering the satirical nature of the blog and the counter intuitive concept.

Via iclarified.com