AT&T Trying To Stop Verizon iPhone’s Momentum

Verizon iPhone is finally here. After months of waiting, iPhone fans finally have options when it comes to picking up a carrier for their phone. Some media outlets have already posted previews for Verizon iPhone. The network has gotten thumbs up from multiple sources. Apparently, those who have tested Verizon iPhone have had to deal with less dropped calls (see Rich Jaroslovsky’s preview).

AT&T for its part understands the risks Verizon iPhone poses to its business. Many believe that AT&T could lose a good chunk of its subscribers to Verizon. The company has already announced that it will offer hotspot feature on AT&T iPhones. It has also sweetened its tethering deal. AT&T’s network still has one fundamental issue that can’t be addressed easily: dropped calls. The company was rated as one of the worst carriers in call quality by Consumer Reports. No wonder many are hoping for Verizon to handle iPhone calls better (which is not asking for much).

Verizon understands that there will be huge demand for its iPhone. As such, it has asked its employees to postpone their plans to buy iPhones for now (according to a corporate memo published by Apple Insider):

customers and non-customers alike have waited for years to see this product on America’s most reliable wireless network. Demand will be unprecedented.. To help ensure we meet customer demand for iPhones, Verizon is urging employees and their families to postpone purchases of the popular smartphone, whether online or in retail stores, for the time being. I know customers aren’t the only ones who are excited – employees are, too. While I share your excitement, over the coming weeks we all need to do our part to meet our customers’ needs — this means putting our customers first,

said Verizon Wireless Chief Operating Officer John Stratton. It will be interesting to see how many Verizon employees pretend they did not receive the memo.

Not everyone is so impressed with Verizon iPhone. T-Mobile is now going after both Verizon and AT&T with its ads. The company may or may not get the iPhone in the future. For now, it is just happy to compare its 4G service against Verizon’s CDMA and AT&T 3G networks.

Verizon customers can start ordering today. The rest of us will have to wait a few days to do that. From the looks of it, there may be some delays in shipments down the line.

Have you ordered your Verizon iPhone already?