iTABLET Stress to AT&T / Verizon

[spanishcop]

What are your opinions reference network stress. Do you think that AT&T's network will be stressed further by adding a new device if it comes to AT&T? What about with Verizon.... being that they may be getting the Iphone on to their network.... do you think that by possibly also adding the itablet to the network that this may boggle it down enough to cause complaints as many have had with AT&T?

For the time being, I'm staying with AT&T. They have added 2 towers in my area which has improved significantly. I could only get Edge previously, so I'm excited to have 3G now.

Curious to hear your inputs on Stress with the new tablet possibly coming and verizon adding the iphone to their network along with a tablet if that actually happens.

 

[Alli]

As far as the iTablet? I've been assuming it would connect to my isp rather than my cellular provider. It shouldn't have much to do with AT&T or VZW.

 

[thinkTwice]

It wouldn't make a difference. My apt has pretty much no reception so AT&T can add the ipad and anything else and it wouldn't make a difference. But AT&T won't do anything with their network to prep for this, the next iPhone, etc. Slow and steady with the network upgrades.

 

[whmurray]

To address the question, one must make assumptions about how it will connect and what artificial restrictions Apple will put on its use to appease its carrier partners.

Will it have BT, WiFi, EVDO (CDMA), and/or HSPDA (GSM)? Will it have native broadband like most netbooks or will it rely upon a BT or WiFi "tether?"

And the answer is BT/ERD, WiFi, and 3G optional, No HSPDA. 3G pricing is attractive and month-to-month.
​

Will Apple allow streaming video? Will it allow streaming video via broadband or will it restrict it to WiFi as it does with Sling?

Apple is silent on these so my assumption is that they will continue to forbid them.​

Perhaps the biggest impact will result from novel applications empowred by the device and which we cannot easily foresee.. AT&T still seems to believe that the iPhone is a problem rather than an opportunity. However, many of their fears, for example of MMS, are not well justified.

The aggressive pricing suggests that AT&T does not seem to think that it is a network killer. The new apps are not nearly so data intensive as Sling or tethering. I suspect that AT&T does not expect that enough of them will sell to create a load. They may be in for a rude surprise if students use them to replace text books.​

 

[flyingember]

I think Verizon will make off worse than AT&T if they get either device

http://forum.theiphoneblog.com/iphone-forum/184449-admob-cell-phone-usage-verizon-iphone-bent.html

From the stress AT&T has had and their backhaul upgrades I have a feeling that in 4 years with LTE they'll have the better network and Verizon will be #2. The CDMA network will be usable in dual mode phones but these will go away by 2014 and GSM + LTE will be more common.

 

[Lady Kaede]

I'm thinking that it won't stream, at least initially. It will be wifi and 3G only, but contract free. The cost of the download will be paid to AT&T / Verizon by Apple and baked into the cost of the media when purchased from the "Media Store" or whatever it's called.

 

[Lady Kaede]

Well, at least I had the 'no contract' part right.

 

[Jeremy]

So much for the stress on Verizon's network... oops it's not on Verizon... Sorry, I love how all the analysts claim to know what they are talking about.

 

[flyingember]

So much for the stress on Verizon's network... oops it's not on Verizon... Sorry, I love how all the analysts claim to know what they are talking about.

ignore analysts, plan for the worse and you end up happier in the tech market

 

[Jeremy]

ignore analysts, plan for the worse and you end up happier in the tech market

Don't have to tell me that. I simply find it amusing listening to their wacky claims.

 

[whmurray]

It will be interesting to see how many iPads will ship with 3G. I will buy the radio. However, AT&T 3G coverage is so bad, that I will continue to use my Verizon MIFI.

However, assuming that the unit volume of iPads is lower than that of iPhones and that only some iPads have 3G the iPad may not stress the "network."

We talk about the iPhone stressing the "network." However, what it really does is overload the air-side in places where AT&T has too many users and too few cells. The stress is local, not AT&T wide. In fairness to the "steaming pile of failure," AT&T has its biggest problems in those communities, like SF and NYC, where for regulatory or geographic reasons, bringing new cells on line is most difficult.