iPhone GO suffers EDGE outage, AT&T fixes problem [U]
updated 02:05 pm EST, Thu February 21, 2008
EDGE outage, iPhone GO
An EDGE network outage that seems to be based around pre-paid AT&T iPhone GO clients is on its fifth day today, leaving many without mobile internet access. According to Scott Kleinberg of iPhone, Therefore I Blog, users have been experiencing intermittent success surrounded by failure to access the EDGE network. Several have reported switching to the billed service and are back on the network. AT&T has not officially commented on the matter, other than to say they are working on a solution to the problem.
According to Kleinberg's research, it seems that only iPhone GO customers are having the problem, and that other GO network subscribers with different phones remain online. "As of this point, it appears to be just iPhone users," clarifies Kleinberg, in correspondence with MacNN. "I have looked and looked for any indication that it's EDGE customers on standard phones and have found nothing."
Kleinberg continues, "…while AT&T is working with me, they haven't given me a true official response yet ... So as far as I know, it's just iPhone-centric."
Update: Scott Kleinberg sent us a notice from AT&T, saying it has remedied the problem, and has confirmed that the issues have resolved. There is no word on whether there is a refund for people who were without service for several days.
Further update: In a conversation with Electronista, AT&T says that it had found a few instances of GO customers having difficulty activating their iPhone, but nothing related to service outages, contradictory to Kleinberg's findings.
I'm NOT Pre-paid...
02/20, 05:42pm reply
I'm NOT Pre-paid ($99 bunch o' minutes plan) and my EDGE has been down for at least 2 days.
designr
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2002
Refund?
02/21, 06:59am reply
How do you refund someone on pre-paid when they haven't been able to spend the money? They should get a credit, but cannot get a refund since nothing was spent as the ability to spend was blocked.
bfalchuk
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2003
No credit for you!
02/21, 08:28am reply
AT&T have advised that they will not be issuing a service credit based on this outage, even though I had been affected by it for eight days. Their policy is to offer a $10 airtime credit, which would be great for people who actually use $10 in airtime on a regular basis, but I don't and it would probably take me months to get anything out of the credit. If you wish to speak with a supervisor in lieu of the $10 credit, the offer is no longer on the table and you forego the ability to request compensation except in writing.
This is really customer friendly!
ukelijah
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2008
"we're the phone
02/21, 11:55am reply
company." Lilly Tomlin.
Flying Meat
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2007
Family Plan
02/21, 02:14pm reply
I have had intermittent access to edge for the last several days. Seems like today has been good so far.
mappingman
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2005