"AT&T Wireless CEO implies iPhone Exclusivity to End", to which I say, "how soon?"

[Zoidberg]

http://www.9to5mac.com/AT-T-carrier-exclusivity-ending

"AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega strongly implied today that the carrier's exclusive deal to sell the iPhone in the U.S. is ending, although he gave no details in a conference call with analysts...\"We have a legacy of having a great portfolio...that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us,\ de la Vega said. \We think we will continue after the iPhone...to drive [results wrote: ....\""]

Personally, my experience with AT&T here in Central AR is hit-or-miss. My wife has the worst trouble re/signal issues. (FWIW, we're both on original era iPhones.) The big problem for both of us lately has been VoiceMail, which sometimes won't show up for 24 hours.

So in regards to de la Vega's comments, I'd ask (a) how soon and (b) to who will it go? Or will Apple go broad with the phone (i.e., multiple carriers)? (I know there's a technical issue but others have noted that Apple is rumored to be playing with other cell technologies as the iPhone's guts.)

[pRICE cUBE]

If this goes to Verizon, I won;t be able to hold out.

[Paul F.]

If this goes to Verizon, I won;t be able to hold out.

I will... but it will be significantly more difficult.

[iaJim]

I'm on T-Mobile, another GSM carrier. If even that addition were to be made, it would be great.

[silvarios]

As long as Verizon is CDMA, the iPhone will never be offered on Verion. Maybe with LTE

[Buck]

silvarios wrote:
As long as Verizon is CDMA, the iPhone will never be offered on Verion. Maybe with LTE

Why not? Verizon has CDMA/GSM combo phones now.

[silvarios]

As a sidenote, I get by just fine carrying a prepaid cell and an iPod touch. Much cheaper. I use Skype on the touch to make calls when I hit the plethora of free WiFi spots. I never want to be shackled to a cell contract again.

[silvarios]

Verizon does not have any GSM towers. Those combo phones are for when you travel abroad. The rest of the world is a bigger market than the USA. Apple is not going to design a completely new phone to work with one carrier. Apple settling on GSM is the single best decision they made. Thank you Verizon for rejecting the iPhone.

[pRICE cUBE]

silvarios wrote:
Verizon does not have any GSM towers. Those combo phones are for when you travel abroad. The rest of the world is a bigger market than the USA. Apple is not going to design a completely new phone to work with one carrier. Apple settling on GSM is the single best decision they made. Thank you Verizon for rejecting the iPhone.

Just like they weren't developing a parallel OSX to run on Intel secretly?

[jdc]

i will still stay with ATT even if they do go with more carriers, since ATT has the best coverage by far here in my city...