AT&T hates the country!

Before I had my iPhone I was a happy T-Mobile customer for over 2 years.  When the iPhone 3g came along it interested me enough to make the jump.  For the most part I have been satisfied.  Where I live, AT&T has better coverage than TMO.  I also get 3g here with AT&T, a big plus.  When it came to more rural areas with TMO, it was pretty spotty (on a good day).  I usually would just shut my phone off because it was basically worthless.  AT&T has had better coverage in rural areas that I was previously left without a phone on TMO, however I’ll admit it’s still not as good as CDMA’s rural coverage.  You would think that those rural customers were an important asset to your business and that you would want to improve your rural coverage.  Well you thought wrong.  That is if you are AT&T.

Gizmodo and OFB are reporting that AT&T is going to be pushing GPRS/EDGE coverage to the weaker and all around crappier 1900 MHz band.  What’s the big deal you ask.  Only that their rural coverage is going to take a nose dive.  Metropolitan coverage can take a nose dive too as 1900 MHz not only weakens much faster than the 850MHz band it was on, but also has a harder time going through walls.  So that 1 bar you had on your Grandma’s farm or in your office downtown, appreciate it while you can because soon it will be “No Service”.  I can understand wanting to make more room for 3G services, but giving all 2G users the cold shoulder so fast is pretty harsh.  I guess AT&T feels they need some enemies.  Oh, and the solution to get your coverage back…Fork over more money for a new 3G phone.  Brilliant AT&T, brilliant.