There are a lot of iPhones roaming around AT&T’s US network, and it seems AT&T users with iPhones in hand are hitting the 3G network pretty hard in Austin, Texas. The Silicon Valley Insider is reporting that the SXSW conference has drawn so many iPhone users that the AT&T 3G network in downtown Austin is at the breaking point. Conference goers have been complaining that voice calls and text messages have been failing regularly in the area, prompting AT&T to expand their network to handle the extra load.
It’s safe to assume that AT&T never anticipated downtown Austin to see the kind of iPhone 3G density that SXSW has gathered. AT&T apparently didn’t realize that “nerdfest is in town,” as one irate Twitter user wrote. The wireless carrier has announced that it is boosting network capacity near the conference center, and will continue to adapt and monitor the network to ensure quality service to its customers.
Says AT&T:
“To accommodate unprecedented demand for mobile data and voice applications at SXSW, we are actively working this afternoon to add capacity to our cell sites serving downtown Austin. These efforts are ongoing, but we anticipate that customers should see improved network performance this evening and for the remainder of the event. We will continue to monitor network performance throughout the event, and will do everything possible to maximize network performance throughout. We apologize to customers who were inconvenienced during this surge in local network demand.”
Hopefully this will be a lesson learned for AT&T. Next test, SXSW 2010?
[Via: MobileBurn]