Would a Verizon iPhone Save AT&T’s Network from Collapsing?

Reading through this New York Times article…

Customers Angered as iPhones Overload AT&T

…you can pick up the main points pretty easily:

- iPhone users use a lot more wireless data than users of other phone models
- AT&T’s wireless network is unable to meet this demand
- Voice services are affected adversely too
- 34% of non-iPhone owners said they did not buy an iPhone because of AT&T’s poor reputation
- Mobile data traffic is expected to double every year through 2013

I had an amusing but possibly reasonable idea after reading this: Losing exclusive rights to the iPhone in 2010 may be the best thing that ever happened to AT&T. If, for example, Verizon begins selling the iPhone on their network, AT&T’s network load would drop tremendously as, possibly, millions of current iPhone using AT&T customers switch over to Verizon. AT&T’s network should start feeling faster and more reliable when that happens. And, if Verizon has early growing pains as they absorb millions of new iPhone toting customers, AT&T may start looking good as their network finally matures after three years of dealing with iPhone users. Splitting iPhone customers between AT&T and Verizon would allow both firms’ networks to grow at a slower pace than having all the wireless data hungry iPhone users on a single carrier. A Verizon iPhone might be the best thing that ever happend to AT&T

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