AT&T may have a speed edge with new iPhones

[Auggie]

sfgate.com & Bloomberg / 10-6-11

AT&T uses network technology designed to handle data traffic for iPhone 4S, the model unveiled Tuesday, at as much as twice the speed of Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp., according to Apple. AT&T will also have an exclusive on the cheaper iPhone 3GS, which the company will give away with a two-year service contract.

The result may be that AT&T will have an advantage in drawing new customers against Verizon Wireless, the country's largest carrier, and Sprint, which will be offering the Apple device for the first time this fall, said James Dailey, chief investment officer at Team Financial Asset Management LLC.

"There could be a competitive advantage," Dailey, who holds AT&T shares, said. "That could shift some momentum back to AT&T from Verizon."

The iPhone 4S for AT&T uses a faster version of technology called high-speed packet access that increases speeds to as much as 14.4 megabits per second. The Verizon and Sprint iPhones use a technology called code division multiple access, for which there's no comparable speed jump.

MORE: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/05/BU4T1LDO6G.DTL#ixzz1a1DJxuLW

Any thoughts on this?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. I looked at both AT&T and Verizon and went with AT&T because it's far

better for international travel. I bought my phone in the spring (hence no hurry to upgrade), and AT&T turned on international roaming while I was in the middle of it. I could have made and received calls in Sweden and Iceland without any trouble if I had been willing to pay roaming fees, but I'm not a big phone talker, and it didn't seem worth it to sign up for their world traveler plan, although I may do so on a future trip, such as a long stay in Japan.

As I understand it, Verizon lends you a phone if you travel outside the U.S.

[onehandle]

2. It already has a 'speed edge.' Overall, AT&T has the fastest network.

4G or not.

I clutch onto my grandfathered 'unlimited' data plan to the end.