AT&T’s iPhone Ordering Problems in NYC – Solution:WiFi

There have been a lot of blog postings and articles written about AT&T’s iPhone ordering problems in the past week as if it spells some doom for the iPhone or AT&T. The issue with iPhone data congestion on AT&T’s 3G cell sites isn’t the end of the world for AT&T or NYC. The iPhone works just fine on WiFi, but most people either don’t try to use WiFi outside there personal networks, because they bought unlimited data plans like I did from AT&T. The iPhone automatically searches for WiFi, the 3G cellular congestion problems could be mitigated by more available and simple to use WiFi hotspots.

The city (e.g. NYC DoITT) already has a program Telecommunications Franchise to help mitigate the problem with a local WiFi-mesh. While this is an AT&T problem right now, plan on other carriers having similar issues when they get big concentrations of users under one 3G cell tower. The answer is and always has been WiFi instead of total reliance on 3G. Additionally this creates financial opportunities for small businesses to develop building-size WiFi hotspots under various auspices. The challenge will be some kind of unifying pass into the cloud of potential commercial or government WiFi providers in the city.

The benefits to NYC government and citizens could be substantial.