In response to a report about Verizon offering the iPhone with an unlimited data plan, AT&T struck back with a few scathing comments of it own. Larry Solomon, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for AT&T, sent the following statement to Business Insider,
“The iPhone is built for speed, but that’s not what you get with a CDMA phone. I’m not sure iPhone users are ready for life in the slow lane.”
This comment is an attempt by AT&T to deflect the growing chatter about the CDMA iPhone and bring the focus back to network quality. While trying to jab Verizon, AT&T also indirectly confirmed the upcoming arrival of the iPhone on Verizon’s network.
Rumors surrounding the CDMA iPhone exploded this weekend. The giant rumorfest started on Friday when Verizon began sending out invitations for a press event to be held 1/11/2011. Subsequent rumors suggest Verizon will announce the iPhone and make it available with an unlimited data plan. The CDMA iPhone is expected to be an iPhone 4 with a CDMA chipset, not an advanced version of the popular smartphone.
Once both networks have the iPhone 4 , network performance will be the defining criteria between the two carriers. If Verizon’s network holds up to the demand of the iPhone, then AT&T risks embarrassment as the carrier was ill-prepared to handle the soaring data demand associated with Apple’s smartphone. When the CDMA iPhone finally debuts, everyone will be watching Verizon to see how it performs both on the critical first few days after launch and down the road. Now that AT&T has cast the first stone and called Verizon out for having a slow network, how do you think Verizon should respond?
[Via Business Insider]
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