Some who purchased their iPad on launch day have experienced wireless connectivity issues with their new device, with reports of weak Wi-Fi reception, dropped signals and difficulty connecting to a network. Read more…
In mid December, AT&T set up a 100-day plan to dramatically improve their network in densely populated cities, reports the WSJ.
The plan comes ahead of the iPad launch this weekend and a new iPhone which is expected to be released in July.
AT&T has added new network spectrum to better handle traffic, repositioned antennas to improve reception in office towers and wired more neighborhood cell towers with faster connections. Read more…
A new report profiling the troubles AT&T has faced with millions of bandwidth hungry iPhone users revealed Tuesday that Apple has modified its handset to make it less taxing on its wireless partner’s network.
Read more…
iPhone power saving features may be the cause of network overloads rather then its high bandwidth consumption, according to an ArsTechnica report.
Normally devices that access data networks use an idling state that maintains an open data channel between the device and the network.
However, in order to get more battery life, Apple configured the iPhone’s radio to simply drop a connection once it received its requested data. If more data is necessary the iPhone sets up a new connection. Read more…
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 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.
Read more…
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…
Verizon, the largest wireless provider in the U.S., is reportedly investing in its network to make it capable of handling extra traffic from Apple’s iPhone, a company official said.
In an interview with BusinessWeek, Anthony Melone, Verizon Wireless’ chief technology officer, said his company is prepared if Apple decides to end its exclusive agreement with AT&T in 2010.
“We have put things in place already,” Melone reportedly said. “We are prepared to support that traffic.”
Read more…
A new article in the New York Times suggests that faulty iPhone hardware is the cause of network issues experienced on AT&T.
The article entitled, “AT&T Takes the Blame, Even for the iPhone’s Faults” by Randall Stross, notes that AT&T has performed worst according to customer feedback. It suggests that in reality AT&T is the best network but faulty iPhone hardware is causing a poor network experience.
Roger Entner, senior vice president for telecommunications research at Nielsen, said the iPhone’s “air interface,” the electronics in the phone that connect it to the cell towers, had shortcomings that “affect both voice and data. Read more…
As you all may know Verizon out of no where started attacking AT&T and it’s network with some not so nice television commercial ads. These ads have to do with network coverage and how one is better than the other. In obvious retaliation AT&T came back with an ad of their own and since the iPhone is running under AT&T’s network it looks like Apple wants to protect it’s precious jewel so it fired back with a couple of commercial ads of its own: