Upgrade Or Else: AT&T Downgrading 2G Service, Stranding Older Phones With Lesser Service [Gizmodo]
(Photo: jetsetpress) Thanks, David!
As fewer people use the 2G network this will be important or the 3G network will fail. Since they mention in building service it seems they might be moving 3G into the 900mhz band and 2G into the 1900mhz band. It will suck for 2G users in that case, but spectrum is finite and users like I demand the best performance out of our 3G devices.
]]>forget the iphone. the biggest impact will be all the 2G Blackberries in corporate offices across the country.
this is actually a genius plan by AT&T...you're going to have senior executives (not to mention the entire government, er, minus the president) clamming AT&T for BlackBerry Bold upgrades.
]]>Seems like a vote of no-confidence from Gizmodo in removing the article, I just don't know why the Consumerist hasn't followed suit.
]]>I am still trying to see where this was sourced, but I don't even see it on Gizmodo...
]]>I predict a flood of people moving to T-Mobile or Verizon, getting out without termination fees because this is a change in service and possibly a class action suit. How many lawyers own Blackberry Curves, I wonder?
]]>Keep focking around AT&T! T-Mobile just dropped in the RTP area, giving us all another choice. No way am I paying 29.99 for internet not much faster than 14.99 Edge.
]]>This is why mobile Internet is so not ready for prime time yet. Data plans + phones are too expensive. User experience is less than stellar (and I'm being very kind). The screens are small. The CPUs are under powered. The browsers won't render all internet sites (ie. Flash). I'm amazed at the number of people willing to part with their money to purchase phones that deliver an amazingly poor experience. Hey, I blame the consumers here, not AT&T. AT&T knows most of you are going to complain, but will pay more for less... a lot less.
]]>AT&T is really going to shoot themselves in the foot with this. There are a heck of a lot of Curve and Pearl owners out there, and a good percentage of them have months to go until their next upgrade. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to know that the data for which they're paying good money (data that costs the same $30 as a Bold, 3G data plan, incidentally) will soon be next to useless.
Incidentally, I wonder how they're going to justify the mandatory data plan for the 2G iPhone if the coverage no longer supports it. I can't help but think that some MBA did a pretty poor job of thinking this one through.
]]>Please do not be paranoid.
uhhh AT&T doesn't sell the 2G iPhone anymore, and hasn't since June
]]>yeah, I see what you're saying. From a consumer's perspective, a macbook from 3 years ago when they were first introduced at $1049 MSRP was until a few months ago the same $1049, just with beefier specs. (same goes to all the other model macbooks and MBP's.
Apple is like a car dealership if I had to analogize. Sure, they make some profit on the "car" itself, but would prefer to sell you the "whole experience" if at all possible (I used to work at an ARS as well).
.Mac and two buddies (now three I believe) were quite a handful. When it comes to bulk purchases, you really need to buy a lot in order to see any worthwhile discount. we ordered lab-fulls of the aluminum iMacs and ended up just getting the edu pricing.
as far as ease of use, stability, and design...absolutely. carbon copy cloner made my life so much easier if a system went down, or a hard drive died. since powerPC is at an end of life and hauling emacs around has become almost extinct, the final transition to intel is going to be great
]]>As much as people bash AT&T, my service with my Iphone has gotten alot better since I bought it back in July. I live in the D.C area and the 3G service has expanded alot since then. I have noticed that the 3G service has expanded to my house and I have a lot stronger signal compared to a few months ago. Alot of people I know swear by Verizon only, but to me I am very happy with my AT&T service. I'm glad I switched from Verizon because otherwise I would not have know how good the AT&T service is.
]]>Now if AT&T were really nice (HA!) they would offer an upgrade package for 2G iPhone users (or any other users) that doesn't require a bend over and grab of the ankles.
Just so you know I am not full of it. I have been working in Cellular Telecom for over 10 years as a Radio Frequency Engineer. BTW, I don't currently work for AT&T but I have experience engineering their platform.
~RF Dude~
]]>Well... One could argue that the price of a MacBook Pro has came down since they are more powerful now than the one that is on my desk. Apple often starts out with a higher price on a newly revamped model. I won't defend them for it but, I will say that the reason why they do this is to garner the highest possible profit margin. They don't sell in huge volume quantities like Dell and HP do. Therefore, they have to have a larger profit margin. I have setup a lot of purchases of Macs for many of my customers. One sale included 50 iMacs. The Apple enterprise sales rep knocked a lot off of each machine. That's when you see a lower price. They're willing to have a smaller profit margin on large orders. I keep buying Macs for the ease of use, stability and, fantastic industrial design. That's a choice that I make so, I don't really gripe about the price. I get a discount anyway since I'm an Apple Consultant :)
]]>The link on Gizmodo seems to have disappeared, so I'm using the technical details from my memory of their article.
I believe the opposite is true in regards to the EDGE data service not being affected. While it is true that voice services will not be affected in the least, they are moving the EDGE data traffic to the 1900Mhz GSM band from the 850 Mhz GSM band. Any multi-band GSM phone that at&t sells will automatically be able to switch bands to accommodate the new requirements of the network.
Moving to the higher frequency band will have some significant effects on your data service. The higher frequency is less able to pass through buildings and other obstructions, so you may not be able to get data service indoors when you were able to in the past. The range of the radio signal will be less (assuming the same transmit power), so you will lose coverage areas since you will need to be closer to a cell tower than was needed before the switch.
]]>...Yes, I am aware that it won't affect my voice service. Believe it or not, I figure that since I pay to use my phone to check my email and use the internet, the quality of that service is also of importance to my money and me.
]]>This will not decrease a customers voice service, I think this is where you all are not getting it. The only PDA that At&t sells without 3G now is the Curve and Pearl which most users of the device don't even use to browse the web, they mainly use it for emails and even then they wont notice a difference (kind of like 3G Iphone email only users switching to Edge to conserve battery life).
If you own a razr or any other old 2G device you will still be able to to make and recieve calls just fine. It will not affect your service at all for the most part since older devices rarely ever use the interenet. EDGE is only used for DATA. If you get 3 bars in your house now you will continue to get the same 3 bars.
What this change will do though is that it will bring 3G to areas that did not have 3G. Upgrading to a new device is not difficult and many wont care, especially when many of our good 3G devices can be had for free.
Again...
IT IS NOT AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF YOUR VOICE SERVICE AT ALL.
]]>My next 2 year contract upgrade is in March, and when that comes around I am switching...or leveraging my business for a cheaper Blackberry Bold.
]]>very well put with the exception of one thing...prices of apple products remain constant for almost everything (it's the technology inside that get increased).
with the introduction of completely revamped models (i.e. ABS macbooks vs. aluminum) that's where you see a change in price (sometimes higher, sometimes lower)
]]>What the hell, Apple and AT&T? When my contract is up I'm going back to Verizon and I will tell you why when I do it. YOUR SERVICE SUCKS.
]]>You must not do much product research. The OS updates had more to offer than "widgets and a search bar". Your G5 has a 64 bit processor that is being squandered by your choice to remain on a 32 bit OS. Since you've allowed yourself to totally miss the boat on Leopard, you'll really be out in the cold in Snow Leopard releases this year. Happy days for you! As for the people who bought the iPhone from the start... That was their choice. Everyone who has been a long time Mac user knows that the price of everything that Apple makes drops over time. I was working at an Apple retail store when the first iPhone released. We sold over 2000 of them -- most were the 8GB model. There's nothing wrong with being an early adopter. Don't feel like you're so high and mighty because you insist on using an aging OS and aging iPods. That was your choice just as much as it has been my choice to upgrade my Mac roughly every 2 years. If I followed your example, I would be on a 1.5GHz 12 inch PowerBook right now. I loved that little laptop but, I needed something with a lot more power.
]]>That's a bit harsh.
]]>If a normal rep gives you flack about it, remain calm and ask to speak with a supervisor. If they say no, ask for their manager. If they say no, ask for them to create an "urgent case", which is AT&T-speak for a customer service-oriented trouble ticket. and to refer the issue to the Office of the President. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
]]>12 month old technology *is* old technology! Is it usable? Sure, very much so... but in technology measurements, 1 year old, is as good as ancient unfortunately.
Like I said in my other post... the iPhone and devices like that are becoming increasingly common. ALL providers have to do what they need to do to meet the demands of their new devices.
It's a crappy transition, but it has to happen.
]]>Should read "...in the next year or two"
I need to learn to proof before I post. :)
]]>All very good points, outinthedark, but I have to say... those in Rural areas are already depending on partner deals that AT&T has from what I understand. Unless you are just talking about suburban areas, then we are looking at 3G expansion into those areas, most likely.
Also keep in mind, they will be rolling out "4G" in the next couple year or two as well.
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Please understand, I don't necessarily *like* that AT&T is doing this, but its all the nature of the beast. I have to assume the company analyzed the reaction to this, before making the decision... this isn't an easy one. More and more customers are looking for mobile devices that do more than make calls and send txts. More and more customers are requiring data plans. The smart phone and smart-dumb phone market is ever increasing, while the entry bare bones market is decreasing... they need to have the capability to match the trends in their sales.
It's really a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.
If they sat on 2G resources instead of reprioritizing, with the ever increasing multi media demands by customers, do you think that would have went well?
]]>None of the major carriers are angels, and most treat their customers like dirt, but this one is really beyond the pale. In a lot of AT&T stores, the salespeople will outright refuse to sell someone a Blackberry- *any* Blackberry- unless they agree to opt into the $30/month data plan. I'm sure they're "forgetting" to mention that these phones could become next to useless for data in the next few months.
]]>As for the speeds, do you really think one handset manufacturer, or any handset mfg's for that matter, dictate issues of spectrum usage at AT&T? I know it's hip to hate Apple at Consumerist, but do you really believe what you're saying or are you just trolling?
]]>WTF. You just said it right there. This isn't crippling Joe Sixpack's RAZR or LG or whatever. They will continue to "just make calls." People with RAZRs, for example, have no need for 2G, 3G, 4G, etc. because these phones for all intents and purposes DO NOT HAVE THE INTERNET. Have you ever browsed the web from a RAZR? I have and it is beyond painful at any speed. Seriously, I think this is a non-issue for most people.
Rural BlackBerry users? OK, maybe...even though most BB users and iphone2G users live in the urban 3G coverage area... You do realize that most higher-end users do upgrade their phones every couple years, right? I mean, these devices wear out etc. When they get new devices in the normal course of replacement, they will have 3G capability on their next phone.
"Why not extend their coverage first then phase 2G out[?]" Because it takes spectrum to do that, which doesn't grow on trees.
/I'm no AT&T apologist. But they're not being evil here.
]]>No you do not have to update, and old Macs can still work quite well, but Apple itself has disowned them and doesn't care if new updates break them horribly.
So in this case AT&T is just accelerating the schedule.
]]>Sorry, but EDGE is not old for AT&T, and phasing out 850 EDGE support is just plain mean, then again, it IS AT&T we are talking about.
]]>I own a mac. A Powermac G5 that has never had an OS update because I cannot find a reason to pay $80 for widgets and a search bar. I also have owned 2 iPods over the past 4 years. My trusty 30gb 4th gen and a new nano for running with.
If you believe you must get sucked into every new product expect to get screwed around every corner. I wait and advise others to wait on new tech. I know a few that dropped a ton on the iPhone when it was released...just laughed and laughed when they got those giftcards.
Sigh...good times.../sarcasm
]]>Unless you mean a first generation iPhone, with EDGE. In which case it would be fine. In fact, that's what I'm doing.
]]>The LG CU515 and the Samsung A737 [though the refurb price for both is free also...weird] the Nokia 6555 is only free if it is refurb as well as the Samsung A727.
The only BB that is 3G is the Bold.
]]>Read the source article and you can see the only "solution" is for the author is to upgrade his phones at his cost and commitment. 2 iPhones and a RAZR would have to be upgraded and his contract extended. The only offer was a $200 credit in exchange what what he calculated to be a $907 annually increase [not including the price of new phones].
Phasing it out yes will be necessary but over half of ATT's phones are 2G/EDGE. They should stop selling 2G phones as of this "announcement" [they have not officially I do not believe] but they cannot because the only BB they have that is 3G is the Bold. All of the RAZR's are 2G I think I read in the article. Everyone in rural areas depend on that signal. Why not extend their coverage first then phase 2G out.
How long did it take for VHS to get phased out. It still lived on in VHS/DVD combos forever. I have a hard time believing forcing customers to eat the cost is the way to go about bringing in new technology only newer more expensive phones will be able to take advantage of. I personally would rather use my phone to make calls rather than get online and surf horribly slow internet but that's what phones are for now right?
[Text is very hard to read with emotion. Do not imply I have a sarcastic chip on my shoulder. I have a very real issue with ATT so drastically switching the spectrum in which a majority of it's customers use.]
]]>How long has anyone been an Apple customer and not realized you 'must' upgrade at least every two years or you become second class scum? The only people with any excuse are the ones who got sucked in by the iPhone and had never owned a Mac.
The fun bit here is figuring whether AT&T learned this from Apple or would have done it anyhow. Makes it hard to tell who's the sith lord and who's the padawan.
]]>If I'm wrong, please correct me... as I'm no expert on the matter. But if that's the way it is, it seems logical to me. Not a whole lot different than the transition from analog television signals to digital, a little smoother even.
]]>As to rural being primarily served by edge instead of 3g, this simply means that the current frequencies in those rural areas will be transitioned to running 3g. It would be good if you've got a phone capable of 3g, but bad if your phone is not capable of 3g and you don't want to buy another phone soon. (or are stuck without getting another phone subsidized for 18 months)
That brings up another question. If you recently bought a phone, and AT&T changes your network coverage, does that provide reason to break contract without paying penalties?
]]>Downgrading 2G service is a bad move for AT&T.
]]>decreased quality indoors and in rural areas
Most rural areas only have EDGE service. 3G is usually in more urban areas so what good does it do for AT&T to downgrade EDGE service where that's all that's available? I can see if the changes were only made in urban settings, but where there's poor or no 3G available, the phone will drop back to EDGE or even GSM...
]]>I got a BB Pearl for Christmas...too bad I only use Wifi for net connection. I was thinking about upgrading to a data only plan but not if ATT decides to degrade the service I'm sure many businesses rely on.
I really don't think ATT needs to push their lackluster 3G network considering Gizmodo's 3G card test a week or so ago. They need to expand 3G reception without filtering out 2G when so many users have no need to upgrade [let alone the means].
]]>