Blog Article 1

Article: http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/08/28/bandwidth-hogs-iphone-and-other-smartphones/

Supporter: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090611-712962.html

AT&T is one of the most powerful wireless providers in the nation, and they are the only carrier to provide their customers with Apple’s iPhone. The iPhone, first introduced in 2007, is one of the most popular and technologically advanced phones that is available today. With all the revenue that generates from the iPhone, there comes a problem. Like most smart phones, they attract customers who are willing to spend big money on unlimited text messaging, and data plans. This is great for people who are using the plans, but there is no phone that competes with the iPhone in terms of data usage. The average wireless subscriber uses about 120 megabytes each month, while owner of the iPhone use four times that. Why does not AT&T just upgrade its operating system with all the revenue it is bringing in? Because like many things in life, it is difficult, and requires permission in order to do it. The future for wireless providers will more than likely be; to raise the price or get rid of the whole “unlimited data” and charge owners for data that they actually consume every month.

Let’s face it, the iPhone is the most powerful smartphone that is available to the public. Just take a walk around UNC-Charlotte and you are bound to see someone texting, talking, or surfing the web on their iPhone. I purchased one myself to see what all of the craze was about, and why people are so glued to it. Now I understand. Like most owners of this dominant device, I spend many hours throughout the day text messaging, “youtubeing”, or surfing the web. It is hard to go back to any other phone once you have had the iPhone (trust me I tried), and thanks to my unlimited data plan, my bill is always the same price every month. The idea of increasing the data plan prices makes me quiver, and if anything, AT&T should lower its $30 unlimited data plan. Nevertheless, I do understand why the iPhone plan is so expensive. The Wall Street Journal reports that, “AT&T has to balance the growing number of iPhone users with the amount of traffic they take up in the network” (online.wsj.com). However, I do not think it would be right for AT&T to follow the Europe and charge users per usage instead of offering a unlimited plan. It would not be fair for them to turn their back on customers that have been faithful to them, especially now during the downturn of the economy. The future for the iPhone seems to be limitless and only time will tell where this magnificent device will do next.