AT&T claims completely open network, too -- "the most open," even!
Who'd have thought the end of 2007 would see US cellphone carrier heavyweights duking it out with PR one-upsmanship to be... open? Seriously, someone pinch us, it's as amazing as it is farcical. So the latest development in big network "openness" has USA Today running off in the opposite direction with AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega's comments that "You can use any handset on our network you want... We don't prohibit it, or even police it. ... We are the most open wireless company in the industry." We think the headline "AT&T flings cellphone network wide open" kind of says it all.The reality of the situation? Nothing has changed between yesterday and today, and, as de la Vega told us a couple of weeks ago, AT&T customers can continue expect the status quo from the nation's largest carrier in terms of their level of openness and flexibility. Granted, it's one thing for Verizon to say they're going wide open (especially being ridiculously closed CDMA carrier they are), but it's quite another for AT&T to lay claims as though it's somehow more open than any other carrier in the world when that argument comes as an extension of its core network technology. Yes, you can take your AT&T SIM, put it in an unlocked device, and run it on their network without much hassle -- but that doesn't make AT&T any more "open" than the final-say testing facility Verizon intends to use in "openly" making approvals (and disapprovals) of devices and software.
[Thanks, epi117]
Filed under: ATT
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cswallow01 @ Dec 6th 2007 3:39AM
Anyone wanna touch Verizon's Bluetooth implementation policies with AT&T's? What about Verizon's proprietary GUI's that tend's to slow most of their phones down?
I can assure everyone here, when AT&T says they're open (when compared to Verizon) they're just about right....
Verizon = Cripple OBEX/FTP file transfer on 95% of their handsets.
AT&T = 99% of the time every profile the manufacturer can throw on there from Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and LG.
And let's not get started on the whole J2ME and Brew thing...
Oh, Verizon's not the only guilty party. Sprint and the MVNO's are just as bad!
Alltel is the only CDMA carrier that does the least damage to their phone's firmware's.
Omagus @ Dec 6th 2007 9:31AM
Um...Verizon never claimed to be more open than AT&T, or any other carrier. It said that it will BECOME open.
bizzLeBozzLe @ Dec 6th 2007 7:00AM
return of the hair!!!!
Jerry @ Dec 6th 2007 8:21AM
Someone needs to tell the AT&T offices how easily "any" unlocked device will work on their network. I brought an unlocked HTC TyTN II to them to open an account, and not only did they *still* force me to get a two-year contract, but then they had one devil of a time getting it to actually work. I stood there for over an hour and a half.
Or, how about having an "unlimited" data plan, only to find out you have to pony up 15 more bucks a month so you can get email on your Blackberry? I guess "unlimited" just means different things on an "open" network, huh?
Bernie @ Dec 6th 2007 11:36AM
Hi Jerry - for unlocked, unbranded devices, your best bet is to go on forums so you don't have to go into the store. Data network configs can be found online. That being said, if you want Blackberry push service, they charge you $15 more bc it's proprietary for the blackberry service. The two yr contact thing is complete garbage, especially when you didn't buy the phone from them.
ShortFuse @ Dec 6th 2007 11:40AM
What do you mean it took forever to work? Put in SIM card. HTC's Connection Setup will start up. You select AT&T, it'll automatically install MediaNET connections for you. I know since I put original stock TyTN II firmware on my Tilt and go to XDA-Devs's forums regularly.
If putting in a SIM card and click next when the "Configuration Setup" program starts is too complicated for you, then I'm not suprised you fell for it, when they said you'd need a 2 yr contract. It's salesperson talk, you need a 1yr or 2yr contract for all AT&T features. Not on the phone, but features like upgrading your phone (what Verizon calls New Every 2-NE2)
Jerry @ Dec 6th 2007 11:55AM
@Shortfuse-
I see why you call yourself Shortfuse. It had nothing to do with me sticking a stupid SIM card into the phone. While their guy was making sure that their network would recommend my phone, it would not, since the HTC TyTN_II was not yet recognized on their network. Nothing to do with SIM. Their drone has to put a phone type into the system, *even though it should not make any difference*, before it will allow that phone to work on their "open" data network. I finally got him to just plug in another phone model, and I was on my way.
youngcalihottie @ Dec 10th 2007 6:46PM
@ jerry
they were doing something wrong then because all the system should ask for is the imei and it figures out the make/model based on that or just says "unknown device" and moves on. if it didnt like the imei for some reason, all 9's will work as an override.
NuShrike @ Dec 6th 2007 5:29PM
WTF happened with your setup? I moved my month-to-month 3G Cingular sim over to the Kaiser and voice/3Gdata worked just fine.
Cingular phone rep even told me beforehand that any 3G device will "just work" by moving the SIM (pretend it's a 8525 when talking to them). They only want to know about it so they can limit you to the pricier data plans. If you got locked into a 2 year contract, you're even more gullible.
Stop trolling.
Jerry @ Dec 6th 2007 6:00PM
In both cases, you have told me you moved a phone over when you were already on their network. I started a new account on their network at the same time, and ATT had their heads up their collective arses, and they absolutely insisted on a 2 year contract. Not a troll, just a fact. Read the post next time.
derX @ Dec 6th 2007 6:28PM
You cannot be forced into a 2 year contract, though. One year contracts exist--you should've known that.
That doesn't diminish the "openness" of their network, your experience is just testament to unscrupulous, untrained sales officials and a customer that doesn't know how demand what he's due.
ShortFuse @ Dec 6th 2007 11:34AM
I know this is PR fluff but I don't see Verizon's attempt to be open...really being open at all. You can be bring any device... (and here's the catch) as long as Verizon approves of it. If Verizon has to approve each device one by one, how is that open?
"uh no, that phone has integrated GPS, it...um... will cause inteference with our network. yeah, that's it. 'interference'. here's a list of verizon approved devices with gps"
"but they all require VZNavigator!"
"but they're all verizon approved"
elgee02 @ Dec 6th 2007 1:15PM
I know you LOVE to think the worst of VZW (and you call me a troll, ha!) but I can tell you here and now that is not how it's going to work. Just about any CDMA phone short of being built in your own garage from scratch will be "approved".
ShortFuse @ Dec 6th 2007 2:28PM
no. not any. it's a FACT verizon, now will now let you use some CDMA devices. go to howardforums. they come up some bogus reason about interference DESPITE the fact people have roamed onto Verizon CDMA network 's with the same phone and no problem. i'm not saying they're not opening up because they are but f they were fully open, they wouldn't have to approve every device. i've worked with pic boards, gsm boards and sim card reade making homebrewserial port gps devices. i don't need to call at&t and activate anything. i pop in my sim card and it works. crappy taiwanese parts.
but with verizon, i'd have to get the device tested in a virtual environment and then supply one to them and wait for approval. that doesn't include how much they might charge me.
my point, that's not open at all. at least not to what i've worked with on GSM devices.
so what's your homebrew experience, troll?
elgee02 @ Dec 6th 2007 5:44PM
I guess you don't realize that almost ANY manufacture made CDMA handset will be tested and likely "approved" by VZW. The consumer won't have to submit it themselves at all. Down the road you will see "unlocked" CDMA phones directly from the manufacture and they will have already been "approved" by VZW. All a customer has to do is call in a number to activate it.
elgee02 @ Dec 6th 2007 6:20PM
And this isn't wild speculation on my part. I know that just about any CDMA phone will be submitted to VZW for approval before they sell it... the manufactures know that they can potentialy get a lot more sales if the device is already allowed to work on VZW's network.
Harry @ Dec 6th 2007 1:43PM
> Yes, you can take your AT&T SIM, put it in an unlocked device, and run
> it on their network without much hassle -- but that doesn't make AT&T
> any more "open" than the final-say testing facility Verizon intends to
> use in "openly" making approvals (and disapprovals) of devices and
> software.
Umm.... yes it does? Like, kinda be definition, since no vendor involvement or knowledge is involved in the former case?
youngcalihottie @ Dec 10th 2007 6:46PM
lol. exactly what i was thinking.
Rand @ Dec 6th 2007 5:14PM
Technology choice is the operative issue here. By definition, the GSM-family of technologies are more "open" because they were designed that way to enable easier roaming and expanded feature sets. If anyone is making a PR ploy, it is Verizon. Fifteen years after everyone else has gone down the path of non-proprietary network and software standards suddenly Verizon has an epiphany and decides to knock down their walled garden, re-enable phone feature sets, and choose a network and technology architecture that is in line with 85% of the world that does not use Qualcomm's flavor of CDMA. All of a sudden they proclaim themselves as progressive and feel the need to solicit pats on the back for being trailblazers? Hardly. I'm sorry but Verizon has hardly been a force for good and too often has been the obstructionist preventing progress on this front. They can't re-invent themselves now.
frank @ Dec 6th 2007 11:29PM
Yes, totally agree with Harry. Did you guys all have a brain tumor for breakfast? ANY GSM phone can be "activated", no questions asked, because there IS no activation process. Even if you have a phone that's compatible with their network, if it's not Verizon or Sprint branded, they're not gonna let you activate it. How can you not consider this more open?
derX @ Dec 9th 2007 10:01PM
"Did you guys all have a brain tumor for breakfast?"
xDDDDD. How did I miss that comment before? LOL
Jimmy S @ Dec 7th 2007 3:30AM
I kind of disagree with the point of this post. GSM is a global standard, and GSM devices will work on the AT&T network just fine provided you have the SIM. How is this not about as open as you could expect for an industry which requires some authentication/billing mechanism?
Jason @ Dec 7th 2007 12:49PM
I work for AT&T and I can comfirm what many here have said. An unlocked phone + AT&T SIM = working phone. The only thing you might have trouble with is data services. A user would simply have to get the settings for the data services and BINGO! A fully working phone by simply moving your SIM. In the CDMA world, you have to call in the ESN and hope customer service doesn't make a big deal about it.
Gib @ Jan 7th 2008 10:57PM
Verizon usually won't hassle you for it, only charge you for it! $20 ESN change fee