Considering the FCC's presence here in the States, it should be no surprise that they are interested (even in the slightest) in the possibility that the upcoming release of the iPad could literally cripple AT&T's already struggling 3G network. As we
covered in the news post, it seems that that is exactly what's happening.
Truth be told, I've personally used AT&T for quite some time, both in 3G markets and not, and I haven't had a lot of problems. I've used every iPhone from the inception of the device, and a lot of other phones to boot. But, I haven't had the chance to use AT&T's 3G service in places like New York City, or in the heart of Los Angeles, for more than an hour or so. That doesn't really count as usage, in my opinion. I'm not going to say that the fervor regarding AT&T's service is misplaced, but perhaps this concern is misaligned.
Will there be more iPad owners than iPhone owners? There's a chance. Why? Because while you need to pay AT&T at least $15 a month for 3G connectivity, there's no contract involved with that. So, no credit checks, and no one worrying about cancellation fees. Plus, it's the iPad.
Are we going to see a choke-hold on AT&T's network in under 90 days? Is AT&T thinking the same thing, and working to help the network? What do you think?