Saturday, June 9, 2007

Hankering for a Phone: AT&T fine tune its EDGE network, Apple Preps 3 Million units

With the launch date looming ever so near, two companies most invested in the iPhone are making some last minute preparations.

AT&T has been busy upgrading their EDGE network for the past 6 weeks now. Scheduled to finish by the 15th of June, project "Fine Edge" involves adding T-1 connections to some of AT&T's poorest performing towers in an effort to improve the network's throughput, latency and coverage, to double their current data rate of 40kbps to the current industry minimum of 80kbps.

Apple on the other hand are busy preparing 3 million units of the iPhone. While it's been said that there will be an intentional supply shortage of the revolutionary handheld, this latest tidbit of news should be enough to put it to rest. Then again, there was also something in the news about 3 million being the maximum number of iPhones to be sold this year. Whether they'll really be able to stagger sales throughout what remains of 2007 remains to be seen.

If AT&T isn't going to be able to deliver the service that the projected 3 million potential new subscribers will need or if any of the 3 million Apple iPhones turn out to be lemons, iPhone critics are going to have a hay day, and lawyers from both companies are going to have their hands quite full.

(fine edge source)

(3 million source)

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