AT&T reliability poorest in 13 major metro areas
If there was any doubt about why iPhone subscribers in the US are such an unhappy bunch, this report should put it firmly and decisively to rest. Although Apple’s exclusive wireless partner here in the land of milk and honey occasionally is tops for speed, it’s always the pits vis-a-vis the most important measure of them all.
FWIW, this news isn’t fully fresh, but hadn’t gotten a proper airing last week with people flitting about thinking about beer, explosives, potato salad, etc. Here goes.
Because the wireless carriers themselves will never actually confess to where they’re weak, and the FCC is neither effective as a regulator nor as a collector and disseminator of information, PCWorld decided to go out an test the nation’s three biggest 3G networks—Verizon, Sprint, AT&T—in 13 major metropolitan markets for upload and downloads speeds, as well as reliability. Here’s what they discovered over the course of March and April.
Yes, of course, 3G wireless results are bound to vary from place to place and day to day, but why is AT&T’s reliability (ie the percentage of one-minute performance tests in which the service was available, uninterrupted and faster than dial-up speed) so unfailingly bad? In six of the 13 markets tested, Ma Bell earned a “D” or worse (Hello, Orlando) and an “A,” just by the skin of its teeth, in a single market.
Worst of all? Choosing a carrier other than AT&T isn’t going to be an option until at least the Summer of 2010…
What’s your take?
See also:
— AT&T to cave on tethering, too?
— Apple says, ‘Yes, we know AT&T sucks. Here’s $30 for your trouble’
— AT&T: ‘We’ve been very happy with our pricing’
— Apple, Verizon said to be aiming for 2010
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July 6th, 2009
No, not exactly fresh. March to be exact. Right before AT&T turned on the 850 spectrum in a bunch of municipalities to handle the oncoming 3gs customers, and which radically improved my coverage and call retention.
As a long time AT&T customer who has been very disappointed in the service until a couple of months ago, this report does a major disservice to those looking at purchases now rather than 4 months ago…
July 6th, 2009
Here in south Bellingham, WA, we would just be happy to get a phone signal with AT&T.
July 7th, 2009
I have a small office in an old building in downtown San Francisco. Used a RAZR cell phone there with Verizon and had no problems. Later purchased an iPhone with AT&T and can’t call in or out on the 3GS system. Occasionally it works on the old 2GS. Also have AT&T hookup for wireless computer and landline phone at the same office; service always works but computer uploads and downloads are much slower than the Comcast service I used to have elsewhere in San Francisco.