It seems natural to think that with the release of the iPhone on Verizon, its market share will go through the roof and AT&T will fade away as soon as users can get out of their contracts. After all, Verizon’s network has more coverage, and the iPhone is the only reason people would stay with AT&T, right? But AT&T had to start struggling for a reason – the same reason Verizon will struggle after the release of the iPhone.
A couple reasons why:
1. Inundated traffic:
With the release of the iPhone, Verizon will see slow networks and all the same service issues that the AT&T network deals with. A Verizon engineer recently spoke with us about recent upgrades to their network. He reports that if/when they see a mass exodus of users from AT&T to Verizon, they’ll see traffic patterns they’ve never before dealt with on their network. Just like AT&T did, Verizon will have to catch up to overnight traffic growth.
2. Data Usage:
There’s a difference between Verizon users and AT&T users. Verizon has more expansive voice coverage and only recently entered the game with smart phones that could compete with the iPhone. Verizon’s network isn’t accustomed to the huge amounts of data transmission that AT&T’s is. So when Verizon iPhone users start accessing the app store, iTunes, and streaming data, the Verizon network known for its excellent voice coverage will see problems with a huge jump in data transmission.
The Verizon iPhone is a great move for Verizon and Apple. Verizon’s market share probably will increase, and Apple will be able to keep the iPhone hot. But if you’re anticipating the Verizon iPhone, it’s a good idea to let the early adopters do their thing and let Verizon’s network catch up to speed before making the switch.