This week a Consumer Reports survey confirmed what many iPhone owners already knew --that carrier AT&T has some serious issues with its network. CR said AT&T's customer satisfaction was the "worst" of the top 4 carriers--Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T.
Why can't get AT&T get it together? And what can be done about it? For answers, we turned to Charles Golvin, who covers the wireless industry as a long-time analyst for Forrester Research.
Q: So what exactly is the problem with AT&T's coverage?
A: It's not a coverage issue, it's a capacity issue. It's having the towers in the right places, and bandwidth to support the traffic. In some markets, like New York and San Francisco, AT&T just hasn't caught up to the overall demand.
Q: Would it be any different if the iPhone was with another carrier?
A: If Verizon had the iPhone, it would have suffered a lot of the same challenges. With voice calls, carriers have 20 years of experience that helps them predict what usage on their networks would look like. They never had this kind of experience for data usage. People are using the network in very different ways.
Q: Android phones (such as the Droid series with Verizon) use a lot of data too, but we don't hear complaints about lost calls.
A: Verizon's network handles voice calls and data differently, so even if Droid phones use a lot of data it doesn't impact the network's ability to keep a voice call alive.
Q: What should AT&T do?
A: They are doing it. They are continuing to invest in new cell towers and expanding the capacity.
Q: Why haven't the complaints affected AT&T's subscriber counts? (In the 3rd quarter, AT&T noted a 2.6% increase in subscribers--for a total of 92.8 million.)
A: People want the iPhone and are willing to give up a lot in order to get it. The subscriber numbers haven't gone down; however, the iPhone is a big part of the numbers. Were it not for the iPhone, (subscriber churn) would be more visible.
Q: Will AT&T see much impact from the Consumer Reports piece?
A: Its impact will be small. Today, when consumers are considering a different wireless carrier, what Consumer Reports says is irrelevant to you. You rely on friends and family. Their recommendations carry more weight, because they can tell you how the service performs where you live.
EARLIER: Consumer Reports: AT&T the 'worst carrier'
By Jefferson Graham
See photos of: Apple, iPhone, AT&T
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