Rumor: AT&T prepping network to handle new devices 20
Sat, 23 Jan 2010 5:52 pm EST 
Has AT&T gained a reputation in the past few years for having a network buckling under the load of their smartphone userbase? Probably. But the question of how to handle that load is a quandary that has divided customers and executives. Customers simply want an upgrade of the network’s capacity and reliability, while the suits want to institute a tiered/metered pricing structure for data access (a concept that while perfectly logical is repulsive to customers used to an unlimited data buffet).
It sounds like AT&T may have actually listened to the customers and is not only working to buttress their network to handle the pounding that millions of iPhone owners have inflicted, but also the prepare for the release of new, and as-of-yet unannounced, smartphones. Or at least so says Boy Genius Report. What do we expect in that mix? Well, webOS for one, as AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega has indeed that two webOS devices will come to his network in the first half of this year. Also, that Android thing too.
So how much is AT&T going to have to spend in order to come close to Verizon's coverage and reliability? If you ask Gerard Hallaren, director of research at TownHall Investment Research, they're looking at a $5 billion investment. That's a big chunk of change, though not out of AT&T's price range - the carrier is expected to report a profit of close to $4 billion for the last quarter of 2009.
[via: PreCentral sister site The iPhone Blog]
Thanks to Lee for the heads up!
20 Comments
Wonder what hardware differentiation if any will be introduced with whatever WebOS devices come to AT&T. Simply more memory again, different colors, or something completly unexpected?
What say thee?
I am expecting the Pre and Pixi Plus, unaltered from the Verizon batch.
I agree. Any changes from current form factor "may" be seen only when PRE2 is announced.
In all honesty I expect to see an iPhone style touchscreen phone with no physical keyboard. I remember reading at one point that Palm planned to release WebOS devices in all major Smartphone styles. We have the vertical slide and the candy bar style already. If they're going after iPhone users on it's home network they might very well release a full touchscreen model just to play on what iPhone users already know. On the flip side we may see more of the same as they bank on iPhone users maybe wanting a phone with a physical keyboard. Either way if they wanna pry Apple's baby out of people's hands and get a WebOS device in them instead I think Palm is going to have to pull out the advertising budget. Every self important douche knows what an iPhone is already and what it does so Palm needs to show people what WebOS can do in contrast. Honestly over all I think Palm has a hard sell on their hands with AT&T users.
What could the chances be of something like the pre2 coming to at&t in 1H?
Matikx said: "Honestly over all I think Palm has a hard sell on their hands with AT&T users."
If you are talking current iPhone users, probably so. But there are thousands upon thousands of Centro users, Blackberry users, non-smartphone users, etc., at ATT that don't want an iPhone, for one reason or another. If Palm and ATT do their job marketing these phones, they will be very successful; if not, they'll be just another smartphone.
It is interesting to consider what phones they will offer, though. If they were simply the Pre and Pixi (plus versions), wouldn't the CEO of ATT have tried to steal some of the thunder at CES by announcing exactly that? I do wonder if there are new phones coming out.
Perhaps AT&T was under a legal contract with Palm stating that they couldn't announce anything at CES to steal thunder away from Verizon.
Palm may have added that clause having already been bitten by Verizon when they announced early to prevent their customers from jumping ship to Sprint.
well I had att and had each iphone that came out. And they are to expensive. I'm happy with my pre on sprint :D
They should prep their network to handle their current devices, first.
AT&T needs to upgrade its network, but if the iPhone land on Verizon or Sprint, I see droves of people moving to the other networks for better pricing or better service.
Unless they amazingly fix these issues in the near future, then it probably won't make that big of a difference to the already disgruntled AT&T users.
come on people, say it with me, F AT$T!!!
I'll probably never use AT&T (or Verizon for that matter) but as a developer I'm more than happy to have potential new customers coming my way.
+1 BoraWare
I also want to import an unlocked GSM Pre Plus when it hits AT&T.
You're welcome PreCentral! Keep up the good work!
- Brandon Lee
att and t's coverage sucks
This is indeed very interesting, I hope that things can become a reality! So I used the phone wep server to run the game of Gaia Gold very quickly!
Given the reports that the Pre and Pixi Plus are exclusive to Verizon for 6 months, It would seem very unlikely ATT would be getting these for 1H. Unless they announce a July 26 release, but wouldn't that be 2H? If they want to go earlier with the launch they may be faced with a non-plus phone...
A third option would be launching the Pre2 along side Sprint 2H, but very unlikely. Especially since they said 1H...
Very confusing!!!
Well, if Verizon recieved the phones to be released on the 25th, AT&T could release their version of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus on the 26th of June and still have them out in the first half of 2010.
Has anyone heard when the palm pre will be available on AT&T?