Effing AT&T

[JB3]

First off, let me say I love my iPhone. Best cell phone experience I've yet had. (even though there are drawbacks, which I freely acknowledge)

BUT.

AT&T sucks. Plain and simple. Since the MMS update my messaging has pretty much gone to pot. Messages I send will now take as long as 12 hours to be received on the other end, and just tonight it took 3 hours for me to get a response to a picture I sent. I know delays can happen and what not, but 3 and up to 12 hours is just plain ridiculous. (and delays are not something that will get me out of my contract ETF free)

So now I'm left with a choice. Do I wait until my contract is up 10 months from now before switching, or do I bite the ETF bullet and go with another carrier?

There are a few issues with both. With staying with AT&T, the biggest problem is, of course, AT&T's really crap-tastic service.

With leaving there are a whole host of other issues. There'd be an ETF (~$105), service would be more expensive since I get a 15% monthly discount on AT&T, and (of course) no iphone. The other thing is that there will be a new iPhone in june, and its likely that other carriers will get it as well.

The phone I'm looking at right now is the new Moto Droid on Verizon. Service, with 1500 texts, would be $85 a month before taxes. (right now I pay that same amount WITH taxes)

So. What the heck should I do?

 

[star-warrior]

Carrier pidgeon?

 

[JB3]

Carrier pidgeon?

Bahaha. I know its a stupid thing to complain about, and I'm trying to keep it in perspective. But, its still really annoying, especially with the money I'm paying AT&T for service.

 

[andysayshi]

Here in Australia we have a telecommunication governing body that we can complain to if a telco is failing to provide the services they promised in their contract. Is there a similar body in the US? Obviously it's not worth litigation.

I sympathise with your frustration. AT&T is clearly having huge problems, and are enforcing ridiculous restraints on their customers. (It could never happen in Australia, where Telco's are much more strictly regulated.) Apparently AT&T have even made it impossible for foreign visitors like myself to use local AT&T pre-paid cards in iPhones, for fear that Americans will buy unlocked iPhones overseas.

 

[gdude30]

Wait. There is a possibility of a new iPhone coming out next year.

There is also the possibility of AT&T and Apple's contract ending sometime next year. AT&T and apple are having issues. Fighting with the whole google voice thing and blaming each other.

Apple might start allowing other carries to take the iPhone. I really hope they do. I fucking hate AT&T too. Their network is for shit and they weren't prepared for the iPhone so of course the network is slow and sucks. And you know they won't give us 4G for the iPhone. Their piss ass network can't handle it. If other carriers got the iPhone AT&T wouldn't be able to get away with some of the shit they'd do. Because you could easily go to another carrier and get the iPhone.

It was originally rumored that apple was possibly gonna do a T-Mobile iPhone. But with T-Mobile being hell bent at attacking apple that is unlikely now. Although T-Mobile recently said that it's up to apple to decide if they want the iPhone to go with T-Mobile.

I really would love some other carriers. Fucking AT&T doesn't even have tethering yet in america.

I feel your pain. But the iPhone is really an amazing phone. It's just texts and MMS are slower now because AT&T's network is weak. But come next year I have a feeling a few things are going to change. I say at least wait til than if you can.

Also my contract with AT&T expires next year. HELL YEAH!

 

[trinket]

gdude30, I've always told you, you're just too reserved. It's tough to draw you out and get you to state an opinion!

 

[Alistair]

I don't know anyone that uses AT&T. Everyone uses Verizon here. I never understood why Apple would contract with only one carrier. Why would you want to limit your customer base so much?

 

[gdude30]

I don't know anyone that uses AT&T. Everyone uses Verizon here. I never understood why Apple would contract with only one carrier. Why would you want to limit your customer base so much?

It makes people switch from their other carriers to AT&T and gives AT&T so much power to use and abuse. They probably payed apple a lot of money too to go with them.

And remember this was announced after Cingular and AT&T become one. It was very much a way to promote "THE NEW" AT&T.

 

[ace3316]

I feel your pain At&t 3g network is poor, and sometimes my txts and web browsing runs faster on Edge. Anyway, I've been out of a contract with At&t for sometime, and don't want to enter into another contract for a subsidize for with At&t or any other carrier. I must say, the offers that At&t have sent to me to entice me to stay with them have been weak!

 

[JB3]

Just an update:

Through the company I work for part-time, I can also get a discount on service. It is only 6% instead of 15%, but it may be enough for me to switch to Verizon and the Droid.

Funny story; a friend and I (the one that experienced the delays) were talking last night about it, since he got an MMS from me at 3 am that was sent in the afternoon, and a text he sent me at about 8pm last night was received on my end at 1 am. Its really just ridiculous.

 

[mcflyer54]

It's time that America wakes up and takes notice that AT&T isn't really a phone company but a very very poor imitation of one. What currently passes for, and calls itself, AT&T is simply a collection of small local phone companies purchased by what used to be Southwest Bell - they couldn't compete so they bought out as much of the competition as they could get their hands on and ultimately purchased what was operating as AT&T and renamed the newly formed company as AT&T because of the universal name recognition. Service, that would have and should have been upgraded by the smaller companies has now been nearly totally ignored so that "AT&T" could concentrate on area where the big money is - ultimate result is that a few areas got much attention and money resulting in good (not great) service while the rest of the country has sub-standard 1980's and 1990's garbage. If you happen to be in one of those areas where their is no competition you get absolutely NOTHING from AT&T because they don't have to provide it. If AT&T put half as much money in improving and upgrading their service as they do in advertising they would be a company that couldn't be beat by any competitor - but I guess they'd rather tell you how great they are rather than show you.

And don't expect AT&T to continue as the exclusive provider for the iPhone much longer - next contract either won't go to them at all or it will be split between several carriers. The buzz is already there about it happening and the justice department is looking hard at monopoly and fair trade practices concerning AT&T and Apple.

 

[M4P]

In Canada Roger's has had the iPhone exclusively because they're the only carrier using the GSM network here. Starting in November both Telus and Bell are turning up their new 3G network which is compatible with iPhones. Roger's will now have to treat their clients better

 

[JB3]

Well, we know that the next iPhone will not be an AT&T exclusive. The only question now is whether they'll make several versions of the iPhone for the different carriers, or whether they'll just swap out the radios. There was a rumor a while back that Verizon would get an 'internet tablet' (a la Nokia N900) running the iPhone OS, instead of a straight up iPhone.