Mobile
AT&T Activates 1.9 Million iPhones in Q4, Network Still Lousy
AT&T is trumpeting the news that they activated 1.9 million iPhones in the 4th Quarter although revenue was down year to year in the same quarter. This comes on news that Verizon also had a good 4th quarter.
I’m happy to hear that activations are up, but AT&T is also saying that the revenue hit was due in large part to their iPhone initiatives, while at the same time saying iPhone customers deliver higher revenue per user. They are also cutting capital expenditures by 10 to 15 percent. I’m guessing this means we won’t see any major improvements in the best advertised worst network on the planet. Sooner or later this is going to catch up with them.
Let’s hope sooner.
Tim
01/28/2009 at 11:52 am
I’m hoping that once the 4G networks come out, better phones will become available to Verizon. If I remember correctly (and there’s a strong chance I don’t so feel free to correct me), Verizon will be switching to LTE and thus using the same network as the current GSM (aka everyone else but Sprint) providers.
With Verzion able to use the same phones as everyone else, we should hopefully see better phones come to Verizon. All the really enticing phones that I have seen in the recent past–The X1 and iPhone come to mind–have been sold for GSM only. Obviously Verizon would have to step up and actually get these phones in their stores, and yes the iPhone’s exclusivity contract’s future remains to be seen, but it’s promising that Verizon customers won’t have to hope for someone to make a CDMA version of a nice phone.
That said LTE is still a ways off =(
Ben
01/28/2009 at 5:25 pm
I don’t understand people always dogging ATTs network. I’ve never had any issues in SC nor in my travels.
GoodThings2Life
01/28/2009 at 9:51 pm
I’ve been in Orlando since Saturday, and as I roamed around just fine using my Sprint Touch Pro (not only for voice and mobile data but also for tethering my laptop), I met several of my colleagues with AT&T that were complaining about performance, and today at the airport I met a guy complaining about his AT&T broadband card being slow and complaining about the battery life on his iPhone 3G.
I showed him how to enable/disable the 3G for a boost when he needs it, and he was like “I don’t know who to blame for this type of problem.” I said, “AT&T’s network, so it’s AT&T’s problem, but Apple should have thought it through better before signing up an exclusive with them.”
You’re right though– someday this will catch up with them, but I fear it will be later because of Apple and AT&T’s marketing B.S. and because consumers buy into whatever the companies sell them.
Jose R. Ortiz
01/29/2009 at 10:28 am
hmmm…i don’t really agree with the ‘at&t’s network so it’s their fault’ train of thought on battery life issues. that would be like blaming best buy for selling an underpowered computer with vista on it, but i digress.
i agree with ben on this one. i hear sooooo many people talk about how bad at&t is all over forums but i have never had any problems with at&t. i live in l.a. so maybe being in a major market helps, but i’ve also traveled to less populated areas and have always had reliable service. in fact, at&t is the only provider that gets service in my house.
Paul Harrigan
01/29/2009 at 4:54 pm
I have found holes in every system over the years.
AT&T was the only system that worked at one client’s location in California, and it worked much better at my home in Southern California, when I lived there.
On the other hand, Verizon was better on the road in places in Northern Nevada.
I really thing YMMV.