Yes, the 1st gen phones had a $20 unlimited data plan, but even as the article says, they felt the extra cost was worth it. Indeed, with the continued massive growth of their user base, you can't keep offering unlimited data plans without expanding the network, and I'd wager the popularity of the iPhone has required a lot of network work to support the expansion in number of users...first going from 1st gen to 2nd gen and now with the 3GS. (They sold, what, a million handsets in their first weekend?)
With 40% of all smartphone web use and over 90% of wifi traffic in airports coming from iPhones, I think the obvious quick adoption rate has hit AT&T pretty hard. I bet most "unlimited" data plans haven't seen the kind of use iPhones are putting the network through...
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-07-15 08:31 pm (UTC)Yes, the 1st gen phones had a $20 unlimited data plan, but even as the article says, they felt the extra cost was worth it. Indeed, with the continued massive growth of their user base, you can't keep offering unlimited data plans without expanding the network, and I'd wager the popularity of the iPhone has required a lot of network work to support the expansion in number of users...first going from 1st gen to 2nd gen and now with the 3GS. (They sold, what, a million handsets in their first weekend?)
With 40% of all smartphone web use and over 90% of wifi traffic in airports coming from iPhones, I think the obvious quick adoption rate has hit AT&T pretty hard. I bet most "unlimited" data plans haven't seen the kind of use iPhones are putting the network through...