AT&T downgrades 2G network, ratchets up the evil
Do you have an original 2G iPhone perhaps with a year or more to go on your contract? Well, Apple’s wireless partner in the US has downgraded your connectivity—shifting the spectrum to its 3G network—though it expects to be paid just as much.
Open for Business (OFB) reports that AT&T Mobility has downgraded its 2G network, which is home to the 2G iPhone as well as variety of Blackberry and Razr smartphones, from the 850MHz to the much less capable and much less robust 1900MHz band in many regions of the US. Specifically, the latter frequency provides poorer indoor reception and tends to be less reliable in rural areas.
âEach AT&T technician [we] talked to concerning this problem offered the same solution: that the customer should purchase new, 3G-enabled equipment at the customer’s own expenseâžâ€”OFB
Accordingly, this shift has resulted in customers past their 30-day return policy, but still with relatively new phones, that have essentially unusable handsets, though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the hardware. Further, the effects of AT&T’s 2G network roll back have been confirmed on multiple devices all around the US.
âWhen I contacted AT&T’s technical support seeking a solution to the problem, the company did offer a $200 one-time credit, a helpful offer, but not nearly enough to offset replacing my family’s two perfectly functional iPhones and additional Nokia handset (equipment totaling about $1,000 in value over the last two years), nor did the company offer to offset the additional fees attached to the new phones (a cumulative total of $30/month)âžâ€”OFB
So, the bottom line is that affected users can either continue on (ie expensive and unusable phones) or double down and “upgrade.” On a good day, America’s wireless carriers are evil, but this behavior is off the scale.
If you’re a 2G iPhone (or Razr or Blackberry) owner still under contract in an affected area, this has got to sting…
What’s your take?
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