AT&T Network Can't Handle Slingbox For iPhone? > Can you say Anti-Competitive

reply to DarkLogix

Re: Can you say Anti-Competitive

Hardly. They just don't want people actually using the bandwidth they're paying for.

reply to fAcEtIOUs

no the topic is AT&T blocked an app that could have even been used on an iPod touch and they are planning to release an app with similer functionality and don't want competition

Who says you need to have an iPhone or iPod to use Slingbox

reply to ptrowski
almost true but the word is that there will be an app like sling but that works with uverse (as was stated earlier)

reply to fAcEtIOUs
If you're in the business to make money, you might want to upgrade your network to satisfy customers. They want more bandwidth, upgrade and charge them more for the privilege. Why have a half assed network with data. It just makes people angry. That is the reason I didn't get an iPhone AT&T has a horrid network.

reply to fAcEtIOUs
I hate to do this, but I have to partially disagree with ya' on this one bud. I have an iTouch ipod which doesn't even use their network, only wifi. When I travel, I'll use my sling on my Moto9Q from Sprint or on my laptop to catch up with a couple shows that I've DVR'd and can't get while I'm gone.

This move is pretty hard not to come to a conclusion that there is someones interest being protected here.. I can see both sides of the story here, too. However, its destiny that apps like this are going to open debates and the big boys are going to have to suck it up a little at the same time. They've already got caps and overage charges, I honestly can't support a company charging a premium for a service and constantly spend time and money inventing ways to people not to use it.

So with this, I say bring it on.

reply to fAcEtIOUs

reply to fiberguy
Except in this case it's time shifted video which HAS NO BUSINESS running over voice centered cellular networks. If it's allowed to run just WiFi, someone will break it out to run over ATT on the jailbird phones, so it's best not to even release it.

reply to Maggs
Same. AT&T is and has always been the reason that I think a majority of people are holding out.

I honestly would be very, very surprised if Apple gave AT&T another exclusivity contract. AT&T is going to fight for it tooth and nail since it's the only thing growing their subscriber base, but you've gotta wonder how it feels to be in their shoes right now, becoming the dumb pipe they hate becoming.

HSPA+ won't save them while their backhaul is still sucking. I think we've already beaten the horse to death over that issue.
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reply to JasonOD
You couldn't be ANY more wrong in your post there guy. "Voice centered cellular network"? really? Voice is voice.. data is data. I don't think my data was interrupted by someone trying to use my data line to make a call.

And second of all, I really could care of the "what if's" in this argument. Someone can already break the network by writing their own app and running it on the phone. AT&T has Windows mobile phones and sling has an app for it now. So, what's different?

Hackers can hack an app, the phone, or open developers can make apps of their own that will do things that go against the system, so the potential is already there. So, with your thinking, should be constantly live in the fear of what-if? .. should be all be inside pulling the shades in fear that there is a possibility that someone may try to harm you? No.. we go on with out lives, and we deal with life in risk management. Right now, there is no major risk that needs to be dealt with. In society, you can't punish everyone for the possibility that a few may do something the rest doesn't like. So yea.. let's block out a million legitimate people from using WiFi on their iPod becuase a few may jailbreak the app.... seriously! .. give me a break.

I'm leaning to believe that this is an attempt to protect the U-verse product coming to iPhones soon.

reply to en102

said by en102:

Who says you need to have an iPhone or iPod to use Slingbox

reply to fiberguy
Voice and data for the most part share the same frequency. In some cases data takes up more "Channels" on the backhaul than a single voice call.

Either way data really does not block up a site, but the wireless companies backhaul barely handles what's available and LTE is going to break their networks unless they upgrade to bigger pipes.