Wired Reveals 3G Network Weakness

Roberto Baldwin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:45:59 -0500

Wired.com surveyed iPhone 3G users the world over, in an attempt to get to the bottom of the connectivity issues plaguing the iPhone 3G.

What they found was that a majority of connectivity issues are the result of less-than-stellar 3G connectivity. AT&T tied for third in download speeds behind Rogers of Canada, and T-Mobile in Europe.

In areas with dense 3G coverage, but a high concentration of iPhones, like San Francisco, the sheer number of connections seems to be straining the network. A good example of this phenomenon is music festivals. Last weekends Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco created a situation where the sheer amount of mobile devices in one area taxed every carriers towers. The overloaded towers decimated connections and festival goers devices become nearly useless.

This doesn't let Apple completely off the hook. Apple has acknowledged issues with 3G reception and has attempted to fix the situation with software updates with mixed success.

Got a story about your 3G coverage with the iPhone you want to share? Drop it in the comments below.

Mac|Life Science RSS Feed

Wired Reveals 3G Network Weakness