iPad concerns the US Government

[iDan]

One would think the US Government has enough on their plate these days. Nope, they'll take a side order of iPad. A new report out suggest the US Government is concerned about the congestion the Apple iPad will cause on wireless networks. Phil Bellaria, a staffer in the Obama administration has recently blogged:

“With the iPad pointing to even greater demand for mobile broadband on the horizon, we must ensure that network congestion doesn’t choke off a service that consumers clearly find so appealing or frustrate mobile broadband’s ability to keep us competitive in the global broadband economy.â€
​

Hmm.. Don't you think AT&T has thought about this? Do you think Apple would select a wireless carrier to provide service for the iPad if they were not 100% confident they could deliver?

Read the full post here: Message from the iPad: Heavy Traffic Ahead blogband – Broadband.gov blog

 

[hockey_stick2010]

wonder if canada will have same issue

 

[arshield]

If apple had really thought about it, they probably would not be continually listed as the highest rate of dropped calls and consistently a top reason as why people do not get iphones.

I agree that this probably isn't the forum to deal with it adequately, but you cannot pretend that wireless traffic congestion is not an issue.

 

[john]

That's what we need... Government making decisions for the private corporations... Oi vey.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

 

[iVan]

The high number of iPads out there doesn't mean that it's all new users. I suspect that they'll be switchovers like me. My laptops will take a rest. I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be doing as me.

 

[IpadOne]

The high number of iPads out there doesn't mean that it's all new users. I suspect that they'll be switchovers like me. My laptops will take a rest. I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be doing as me.

iVan is not so true , see my example like you my laptop take a rest but the latptop of my wife she let it open but still use her iPad and when she in on the laptop the iPad stay open and for me is the same … so that made one more device connected 100% of the time i am sure they think in that way

 

[cherhall]

I guess there are hidden benefits to living in the country. Even though I'm barely on the edge of AT&T coverage, ive never had a dropped call at home, and the only time I ever do is on a nearby stretch of highway a few miles long. I've always been totally happy with AT&T service. They don't have 3G coverage at my home, but neither does any other company. I have been with Cingular/AT&T since I carried my cell phone around in a bag the size of a hardcover book and had to plug it in the cigarette lighter

 

[iVan]

The high number of iPads out there doesn't mean that it's all new users. I suspect that they'll be switchovers like me. My laptops will take a rest. I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be doing as me.

iVan is not so true , see my example like you my laptop take a rest but the latptop of my wife she let it open but still use her iPad and when she in on the laptop the iPad stay open and for me is the same … so that made one more device connected 100% of the time i am sure they think in that way

True but even if the laptop is on, there has to be a task being performed on the wifi to justify its obstructing general throughput. Even if all my computers are on and online, unless I'm downloading something, only one at a time will use data.

 

[figmo10]

Why, if wireless service gets broken, of course our government can fix it. There's an app for That!.

 

[epb]

The real issue is a lot of government types use cellular broadband and congestion would impact them personally. They couldn't care less if the public was inconvenienced - they'd expect us to do what you're supposed to do in a free market; cancel and go to a better provider.

 

[arshield]

You guys are making light of this. But wireless spectrum is a regulated utility. The carriers paid a lot of money to get it, but they also have requirements to keep it. If they are not following the requirements of their contract then they have oversight requirements. AT&T has requirements like all other providers. They may be meeting their requirements but buying into the system means they have to submit to oversight.

 

[Seadog]

The big problem is there is not a central plan for high speed internet, and it is up to the companies to take are of it and the cell system. What is needed is for the major players to put together a plan to work together and plan for the future growth. If they don't, the government we have now will want to take it over and make it a bureaucracy. People complain about the 3G service, but it is worthless unless we get a better fiberoptic network to carry the traffic.

 

[epb]

AT&T has requirements like all other providers. They may be meeting their requirements but buying into the system means they have to submit to oversight.

Myabe I'm remembering it wrong, but isn't AT&T the only broadband provider that uses separate networks for data and voice? The reason Sprint and Verizon will kick people off the service for violating TOS on their data services is heavy data usage can drag down a cell tower, crowding out voice service users.

 

[arshield]

Myabe I'm remembering it wrong, but isn't AT&T the only broadband provider that uses separate networks for data and voice? The reason Sprint and Verizon will kick people off the service for violating TOS on their data services is heavy data usage can drag down a cell tower, crowding out voice service users.

actually it is the opposite. AT&T uses voice and data on same network which allows both to be connected at the same time. Sprint and most others have it on different networks, which requires two separate antennas and connections to do both voice and data.

 

[epb]

Thanks for clearing that up. Years ago, everyone was upset that Sprint would kick you off the service for using more than 5GB or so a month, so I figured that was their concern. I've never heard of AT&T dropping someone...