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AT&T CEO Thinks Network Reliability Keeping iPhone Users Around
Apple fanaticism, long term contracts and ETFs have nothing to do with it?

It's not clear yet whether AT&T's recent missteps have Apple reconsidering their iPhone exclusivity arrangement, but judging from AT&T's earnings, there's no doubt AT&T would like to extend the deal, which expires next year. That said, CEO Randall Stephenson was realistic today that the deal may be nearing its end, telling conference attendees at Fortune's Brainstorm: Tech conference in Pasadena that he at least acknowledges the deal won't last forever.

quote:
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"On balance, I think it works really, really well--maybe as well as any strategic partnership we have," Stephenson said. Asked by Fortune's Stephanie Mehta whether he is completely satisfied with the nature of the relationship, Stephenson quipped: "I don't know if I could get my wife to say that about me, so I don't think I could say that about a business partner."
Highlighting the lowest churn rate in company history, Stephenson crowed to attendees that "there's no greater cause of churn than network quality." In reality, the reduced network churn is largely thanks to the use of long-term contracts and ETFs to keep customers, and the fact that the Apple brand has a loyal following that would follow Apple through pretty much any pasture -- including AT&T's -- no matter what they were stepping in.

Stephenson's facing denial if he thinks AT&T network reliability is the cornerstone of the company's low customer defection rate, given the fact you can't retain an AT&T 3G connection while walking down Fifth Avenue. It's really in Apple's court as to whether the deal gets extended, but with the amount of griping among Apple fans about AT&T's network, Apple may not want to risk tarnishing its brand among members of the cult of Mac.

No matter how it's spun by the faithful and the technorati, Apple extending the deal would send a very clear message to Apple fans that the company places cold hard cash above a high-quality user experience.
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TuPaK
join:2002-07-21
Burke, VA

TuPaK

Member

AT&T's network is horrid

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.

baineschile
2600 ways to live
Premium Member
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI

baineschile

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

apple and exclusive agreements are whats keeping the iphone users around

jeepster
@comcast.net

jeepster

Anon

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

As soon as the exclusivity is gone and CDMA networks start carrying it, ATT will experience massive churn.

digiblur
Premium Member
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana

digiblur to TuPaK

Premium Member

to TuPaK
said by TuPaK:

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.
Yes indeed. AT&T's service might be greater than others in my area, but having "bars" on your phone means nothing when you can't use them.

Juke Box
His Word Never Fails
Premium Member
join:2001-01-29
Psalm 96 ESV

Juke Box

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

I live 10 miles outside of Charleston, SC and I get no bars. Zero, nadda. Actually, the message is "No Service". It is what a black hole really is for AT&T.
w4ncr8
join:2000-10-27

w4ncr8 to TuPaK

Member

to TuPaK
Was listening to the conference call today, they keep bringing up their cellular sites that they are going to have to increase their back haul to these sites, seems to me not enough bandwidth to these sites and many other reasons I do not own a IPHONE.

r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium Member
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX

r81984 to TuPaK

Premium Member

to TuPaK
said by TuPaK:

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.
USA wide verizon sucks.
Att has better service just about everwhere.
I go cross country all the time.
People from work with verizon hate it.

iLive4Fusion
Premium Member
join:2006-07-13

iLive4Fusion

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

said by r81984:

said by TuPaK:

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.
USA wide verizon sucks.
Att has better service just about everwhere.
I go cross country all the time.
People from work with verizon hate it.
Try the south with AT&T and see how you like it, all you will be getting is SOS or No Service!! Oh and forget about 3G unless you have Verizon.

Lark3po
Premium Member
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL

Lark3po

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

ATT works fine in the Huntsville/Madison area... It also works in LA (Lower Alabama) where our Verizon service did not. YMMV

r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium Member
join:2001-11-14
Katy, TX

1 edit

r81984 to iLive4Fusion

Premium Member

to iLive4Fusion
said by iLive4Fusion:
said by r81984:
said by TuPaK:

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.
USA wide verizon sucks.
Att has better service just about everwhere.
I go cross country all the time.
People from work with verizon hate it.
Try the south with AT&T and see how you like it, all you will be getting is SOS or No Service!! Oh and forget about 3G unless you have Verizon.
I lived in south lousiana for the last year going from texas to florida. I always have a signal with ATT.
I driven mississippi, oklahoma, missouri, tenessee, illinois, indiana and always have a signal even in rural in the middle of nowhere areas.

iLive4Fusion
Premium Member
join:2006-07-13

iLive4Fusion

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

said by r81984:

I lived in south lousiana for the last year going from texas to florida. I always have a signal with ATT.
I driven mississippi, oklahoma, missouri, tenessee, illinois, indiana and always have a signal even in rural in the middle of nowhere areas.
West Alabama it never works for me. And no 3G.

LightS
Premium Member
join:2005-12-17
Greenville, TX

LightS to iLive4Fusion

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to iLive4Fusion
I live about 30 miles west of Ft Worth TX, have 3G service... when travelling, I always have service, and can actually use it

Telco_Tech
join:2009-05-18
Toledo, OH

Telco_Tech to TuPaK

Member

to TuPaK
said by TuPaK:

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.
Everything about AT&T is horrid -- they're a vile company run by liars and criminals. Their track record with handing over user data to the NSA without due process is a wonderful example of their lack of morals. I will never, EVER knowingly do business with them. Two cans connected by a string would be a better option.

- Tate

cuda
@comcast.net

cuda

Anon

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

How soon the verizon loving sheep forget, verizon was doing the same thing with the NSA. It was not just at&t. All these at&t complaints are just a viral myth and the sheep just go along with it and start to believe it. Then the too start the same viral message.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

Uh, it's not a myth.
cyclone_z
join:2006-06-19
Ames, IA

cyclone_z to Telco_Tech

Member

to Telco_Tech
said by Telco_Tech:

Everything about AT&T is horrid -- they're a vile company run by liars and criminals. Their track record with handing over user data to the NSA without due process is a wonderful example of their lack of morals.
All true, but Verizon and Sprint are no better. After many denials old
Ivan finally admitted to Charlie Rose that they were part of project vacuum cleaner.

inforight
@verizon.net

inforight

Anon

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

Actually it was MCI before being acquired by Verizon that was handing over data to the NSA, was Verizon supposed to know this before they bought MCI?

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy to Telco_Tech

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to Telco_Tech
I wouldn't be surprised today if every provider handed over these types of records and more to the government if asked to do so. Since 9/11 we've been in an ever-increasing state of terror-paranoia (terrornoia? ) and panic. I've just made the assumption that our government can get their grubby little paws on any information they want.

If privacy is that important to you (and, IMO, it should be), I'd recommend taking several steps to anonymize yourself and your activities. Don't surf to sites you don't want others to know about on any equipment but your own, and don't surf to these sites using any ISP connection that you're paying for. (i.e. Drive around town and find an open WiFi router or two.)
Don't use your home phone or cell phone for conversations you don't want others to know about; those are best done face-to-face. And with current cell phone technology being able to turn on phone microphones remotely on some devices (and also track them remotely), phones and other wired electronics are best left at home when going to these meetings.

To those who would suggest that you have nothing to worry about if you have nothing to hide... I'd suggest rethinking that position. The government's powers to spy on its own citizens should be severely limited and crippled, unless good reason can be provided to a panel of jurors (not a judge or two) in a public court forum (not some super-secret closed-door session that potentially violates sunshine laws). The governed can only be truly free when those who govern are held responsible and accountable for all of their actions.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102 to TuPaK

Member

to TuPaK
I have (and still) use both Sprint and AT&T in SoCal. I have very little issue with data and voice networks on either. Just as a note, I use a Windows Mobile smartphone, not the iPhone.
dlewis23
join:2005-04-18
Boca Raton, FL

dlewis23 to TuPaK

Member

to TuPaK
said by TuPaK:

They can take their network along with their ETF once the iPhone is on Verizon or other carriers. I'll be more than happy to leave AT&T. The iPhone barely makes up for their highly lacking network.
Hey hey now... Don't say the entire thing is horrid because its not. If you come down to South Florida its a night and day difference from the places where people have network problems.

The problems people keep complaining about (dropped calls, slow 3G speed) don't exist down here unless its a friday night and your on that one cell site that is crammed with everyone...

3G is fast all the time (1.2 Mbps +) 5 bars all the time and no dropped calls. They need to do the rest of there network like how it is down here.

And I don't think Apple having the device on Verizon will help with anything really because the iPhone can bring any network to its knees. It has more then half the mobile data usage in the US and its only on 1 carrier.

I don't care who the carrier is, you put a million iPhones on it in less then a month and there are going to be network problems.

Hpower
join:2000-06-08
Canyon Country, CA

Hpower to TuPaK

Member

to TuPaK
»/r0/do ··· b200.jpg

lol what is he doing in that picture? HAAAABBOOOKINN!!! haha street fighter

winsyrstrife
River City Bounce
Premium Member
join:2002-04-30
Brooklyn, NY

1 edit

winsyrstrife

Premium Member

Re: AT&T's network is horrid

said by Hpower:

lol what is he doing in that picture? HAAAABBOOOKINN!!! haha street fighter
He's showing how he just fisted himself with the comment about his wife. His eyes also show the realization of long nights on the pullout couch.

iLive4Fusion
Premium Member
join:2006-07-13

1 edit

iLive4Fusion to TuPaK

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to TuPaK


Orange is where AT&T and VZW overlap. Yellow is Verizon EVDO where AT&T is either EDGE or no service. Red is AT&T's pitiful 3G

Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23

Fox McCloud

Member

Ughh

It seems like 80% of the news here on DSLreports is of a negative nature...this little tidbit is picked up on and AT&T (and their CEO) is bashed, yet, his other statement is conveniently forgotten:

»news.cnet.com/8301-13860 ··· 0_3-0-10

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

1 recommendation

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Ughh

That can be fixed by the CEO of a company that has spent 12 months being BASHED MERCILOUSLY for network reliability not pretending that network reliability is the company's strong suit.

Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23

Fox McCloud

Member

Re: Ughh

said by Karl Bode:

That can be fixed by the CEO of a company that has spent 12 months being BASHED MERCILOUSLY for network reliability not pretending that network reliability is the company's strong suit.
my complaint is not this article in particular; credit where credit is due (or detraction where detraction is due), I just have grown tired of the general negative tone that most of this site's articles carry.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

2 edits

4 recommendations

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Ughh

You mean like the article before this one that notes that Comcast's new network management technology is working well? Or the one before that which simply makes users aware of a possibly dishonest MLM operation?

What you see as negative, I see as honest. Those looking for rainbow-colored smoke blown up company posteriors certainly have no limit to alternative options. Thread's rather off topic, but feel free to instant message me with stories you feel are more uplifting.
Expand your moderator at work

TruckerKW
join:2002-03-31
Buckner, IL

TruckerKW

Member

Good riddance

I can't wait for my iphone contract to be up in December. I can't even get a 2G connection wherever I go and I will never be sucked into anything like this ever again.
meowmeow
join:2003-07-26
Helena, MT

meowmeow

Member

Re: Good riddance

That is TO BE EXPECTED. I've had Verizon, Alltel, and MTPCS Cellular One (all three carriers here). NOBODY has service in many of the places I travel. You think Verizon will mean less dead spots? Good luck. Alltel (which is being bought by AT&T here) has far fewer dead spots than Verizon. But they still have plenty of them. That's life. You really can't run anywhere better.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Both Apple & AT&T will extend if that maximizes profits

This is a pure business deal. Apple will extend if they think that that will maximize their income. And if they think they can make more by selling to Verizon & Sprint & T-Mobile as well as AT&T, that is what they will do. It all is in the hands of the Marketing & Accounting departments and on their research studies on the subject.

Same with AT&T.

Of course, it will depend on how much senior mgt believes in the studies done by their Marketing departments and how close the call is on keeping the deal or ending it.

C_9084
Kill The Socialists
Premium Member
join:2001-03-19

C_9084

Premium Member

Re: Both Apple & AT&T will extend if that maximizes profits

apple will definitely extend, they value control far more then market share
C_9084

C_9084 to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
plus jobs is a vengeful son of a bitch and will spite verizon for denying him earlier

Rob916
@sbcglobal.net

Rob916

Anon

AT&T

Network reliability? My boss has an iPhone on AT&T and his drops calls all the time and he's always pissed at the coverage. My iPhone is on T-Mobile and I have dropped 2 calls in the past 6 months. lol

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

1 edit

1 recommendation

Transmaster

Member

Just Like Oliver Twist


'Please, sir, I want some more.
ATT treats it's iPhone customers

ycool
join:2001-12-04
Miami, FL

ycool

Member

Re: Just Like Oliver Twist

LOL!!!!!!

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

1 recommendation

Karl Bode to Transmaster

News Guy

to Transmaster
*

unlimited gruel restricted to one bowl per week. May contain bones and other foreign matter. Bowl and/or eating utensil may not work.

Elite
Kiss My Ass
join:2002-10-03
New Haven, CT

1 recommendation

Elite

Member

You people must live in shitty areas of coverage

I always have full 3G wherever I go. It's also always very speedy.

I've never had a problem with AT&T's 3G network.

It even worked when I went to NYC.

Perhaps I'm just lucky?

(Oh btw I've had 3G for 2+ years now.)

•••

Metatron2008
You're it
Premium Member
join:2008-09-02
united state

1 edit

Metatron2008

Premium Member

I think the guy means their network quality is the best

of At&t's history.

Which means nothing of any relevance since at&t has historically had bad service.

It's a nice way to say: 'We suck a bit less now'.

Which means Karl is only telling us half the story.
alexmac
join:2009-07-23
New York, NY

1 edit

alexmac

Member

No-not reliable

As an iPhone user, their network is certainly not keeping me there. It will however be leading to my new blackberry with Verizon in september when my iPhone contract runs out.

•••

KenC
@rr.com

KenC

Anon

Well, the only alternative...

... is Verizon, and it's not the most consumer friendly carrier, with its long history of crippling handsets. Do you really think there's any way that Apple would cripple their handset to satisfy Verizon's moneygrubbing ways?

•••

mod_wastrel
anonome
join:2008-03-28

mod_wastrel

Member

Hmmm...

The best thing I've heard about the at&t network is that it's "consistent"... which is, I suppose, something you can "rely" on . As to whether that actually equates to "reliable"... meh.

I guess Randall would say: "Pah-tay-toe, pah-tah-toe."
Chaldo
join:2008-03-18
West Bloomfield, MI

2 edits

Chaldo

Member

I can't believe that many of you have problems

I live in Detroit area, I never have problems with AT&T never, I went to california, no problems, newyork no problems, chicago no problems. I love there service and I hope there LTE kicks the shit out of verizon's. I been with this company for 12 years and I have only dropped a few calls, and texts run smooth.

Also all of you that complain about AT&T crippling features in the iPhone need to shut up, why? Imagine if Verizon had it exclusively, tell me what they would do? There damn blackberry's cant even have freaking WIFI..... Yeah people need to think before they talk.

Verizon iPhone, VCAST!!!! omg no wait VERIZON APP STORE!!!! Yea have fun.

Also when is AT&T moving there 3G to 850 mhz?

••••

mrhighway
@verizon.net

1 recommendation

mrhighway

Anon

AT&T is solid on me!

Yep, honestly I've been with AT&T for over ten years myself. Don't get me wrong. Their 3g still leaves something to be desired as for speed for me but all in all, it is solid. No matter where I go, it works. That is about all I can expect from ANY mobile carrier. Also, I work for Verizon and I can tell you that it is not rosey over here either. Many on these forums act as if Verizon is the super carrier or something but I've got to tell you, this simply if far from the truth.

I have had many different phones with AT&T and with the exception of the iphone, have not had many calls dropped. I think many of these issues are with the iphone to tell you the truth. My wife's AT&T phone doesn't drop calls and sometimes we can me together right next to each other and my iphone may say NO SERVICE while her Erikson phone is fine. That is why I say that the iphone shares some of these issues.

I'm NOT an Apple fan boy either. I'm not one to pay the Apple tax. That is why I won't buy one of their overpriced computers. My pc does everything I did it to do, cablecard, mediacenter, blu-ray and all.

To sum it up though: In my opinion, AT&T is a solid carrier and no matter where I go I never have any major issues. As some of my co-workers ask, "Why don't you just switch over to Verizon?" I always reply, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."

My two cents only and this is from a Verizon employee.
Chaldo
join:2008-03-18
West Bloomfield, MI

Chaldo

Member

Re: AT&T is solid on me!

Thank you!
clickie8
join:2005-05-22
Monroe, MI

clickie8

Member

I Wouldn't Say Reliability Tops My List

When I tried AT&T three years ago, it was truly horrible in SE Michigan. Holes everywhere in coverage. That has improved quite a bit and I know of only one coverage gap in my travels.

Reliability isn't first on my list though. What might keep me on AT&T versus Verizon (where I know the network is far better) is the fact that I can get good unlocked GSM phones for $50. And I can get great phones that are not wounded by Verizon's paranoia and greed.

The lesson here isn't for AT&T, the lesson is for Verizon. Give the customer what they want and stay out of the way.

jeffro
join:2007-04-20
Cordova, TN

jeffro

Member

Keep it

There's no way in hell I would own an iPhone. I got a blackberry curve 8310 in December. This thing can still do more than that portable app store called the iPhone. You can keep it. The touch screen sucks anyway. Long live the QWERTY keyboard!

Elite
Kiss My Ass
join:2002-10-03
New Haven, CT
Synology RT2600ac
TP-Link TC-7650
ARRIS SB8200

1 edit

Elite

Member

Re: Keep it

I type faster on my iPhone than I did on my BB 8700...

And the 8700 had a better keyboard than your Curve. I almost "upgraded" to a Curve. Glad I went with the iPhone instead.

Edit: How's the WiFi on your 8310 treating you? Oh wait... you don't have WiFi? What about 3G? Oh you're stuck on Edge?

Bummer!

jeffro
join:2007-04-20
Cordova, TN

jeffro

Member

Re: Keep it

In my area I am perfectly happy with EDGE. It gets the job done for what I need it to do. So no. It's not a bummer at all. I almost threw my friends iPhone out of his car window when I tried typing on the thing.

Truth Hurts
@bellsouth.net

Truth Hurts

Anon

at&t

I have the original iphone and get edge service just about everywhere I go in west Tenn. No company has coverage everywhere and never will! The at&t network has and is improving all the time.Edge is slower in some places.Many of the 3GS owners claim faster internet due to the processor on it? (edge).I also use two different laptops in all the same places. It does drop once in awhile,again so does the other companies. Bars mean nothing for internet speed because voice gets priority over data.Since more people are using cellular than before it will continue to tax networks as they grow.The president of Verizon was quoted several years ago saying that consumers were not to expect coverage in elevators and everywhere.It just will not happen with a radio signal.Cell phones use a node like cable,more users slower service more drops, it is simple physics,please dont be hyped by the commercials.

•••

FastiBook
join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA

FastiBook

Member

Att lied to me.

I may sue them.

No, i'm not a crackpot. I was waiting for a credit for several things, that were supposed to make this month's bill be in the back 150 bucks, but instead, i receive a bill, asking for 178 dollars..... They also confirmed with several phone calls that my text plan was $20/mo for unlimited. Now it's magically $30. So i'm paying $30 for data, and $30 for text... Even my last bill (the first one with iPhone) had texting at $20, so i'm not sure what the hell is going on.

And of course, there are no notes on any of this, it's just like magic that i randomly call in expecting a credit of a sizable amount, i must be a moron that needs the billing explained to him, sorry but i've had these folks since 2005 and i know how to read their bills.

The guy says "if you want a refund you have to go through our e-commerce dept". This was all documented, in notes on the account, i even called and asked why my LAST bill was $2xx.xx vs in the black... They explained "oh, sorry sir, it looks like they have several credits that will hit next billing period", the reason you were denied free exchange of equipment (i had asked just to ask to see if we could get the 3Gs not that i really cared if i got a yes or no) is because there was a limit on the credits issued for your account, so maybe you can call back in a few months but right now there's no more we can do".

So now you can see how they lied to me.

Believe me though, i'm getting the money they promised me or i will see them in court.

- A
Chaldo
join:2008-03-18
West Bloomfield, MI

Chaldo

Member

Re: Att lied to me.

This has happened to me before, it's hell with them i'm not gonna lie, you should call up and see how much all the credits are in total and tell them to take them off and make one big credit for that amount. That should work much faster, also unlimited texting on one line is $20, I don't know why they put it as $30? Did you add anyone else to your account that texts? If so, $30 plan= Unlimited texting for whole family (every line under account).

Yea I would call back and be furious honestly.

NOVA_Guy
ObamaCare Kills Americans
Premium Member
join:2002-03-05

NOVA_Guy to FastiBook

Premium Member

to FastiBook
said by FastiBook:

Believe me though, i'm getting the money they promised me or i will see them in court.
I hope you have the ability to do that. I seem to recall from somewhere, though, that you don't. I think that your contract with AT&T forces everything to go through arbitration, rather than the court system-- but I could be wrong.

While you're at it, I'd also file complaints with the BBB and your states consumer affairs or attorney general office. And if you're going to complain to the attorney general's office, also file a complaint about AT&T's deceptive data plan advertising where "unlimited" apparently means 5GB.

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

HAHAHAHA!

AT&T really needs to get off the drugs. While their voice is still ok, their data network stinks royally. I have been ready to defect for possibly less coverage, but better data speeds/stability.

•••
etaadmin
join:2002-01-17
united state

etaadmin

Member

Just wait until AT$T introduces iphone bonding


Iphone bonding
later this year.

xirian
Premium Member
join:2003-01-26
Beacon, NY

xirian

Premium Member

hahahaha

yeah right. Still edge in most areas, I've seen gprs pop up too. In the city I have full signal 3g yet data doesn't work. its the iphone that keeps me, and if a cdma version exists I would go as far as to pay the etf to get away from att. With what they rape for the data plan they should be able to fix this.
jvanbrecht
join:2007-01-08
Bowie, MD

jvanbrecht

Member

Re: hahahaha

I doubt a CDMA iphone will exist, it will be an LTE based phone, which will pretty much work on any carrier as its backwards compatable with the current networks in use in the US, both UMTS (ATT's 3G network) and CMDA2000 (Verizons/sprint).
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