MMS ready on June 18th!

[redman042]

As I understand it, the REAL reason AT&T is delaying MMS rollout is due to network capacity issues, not some lame excuse like having to manually update accounts. Their network, especially in major cities like NY, doesn't currently have the headroom to allow for their many many iPhone users to be transmitting huge video files and so forth. It's already struggling just with iPhone web surfing. They are busily doing the 850mHz overlays to double capacity and increase range, and posts I'm seeing at HowardForums indicate they are making good progress, but they are by no means done. I think even late summer is a stretch, but maybe they will get to a certain percent complete and then go ahead and flip the MMS switch.

DO NOT believe anything a CSR tells you. If AT&T was truly ready to announce a hard date, either internally or publicly, we would have heard about it by now.

 

[bdorpetzl]

If this were indeed true then Apple wouldn't have said during the keynote that MMS would be available to AT&T customers later this summer. They would have said it would be available at launch. Don't trust anything a CSR says, most of them know nothing.

Technically, the 18th is not the launch of 3.0, the 17th is. Of course, that being said, I'm not going to hold out any hope that this will for sure happen.

 

[QCassidy352]

From the things I've read, the holdup in activating MMS is that AT&T has to manually edit each iPhone line to enable MMS on it.

No way in hell can that be the real reason. The idea that their system is so f'ed up that they can't do batch changes like that is simply unfathomable.

As I understand it, the REAL reason AT&T is delaying MMS rollout is due to network capacity issues, not some lame excuse like having to manually update accounts.

that's been my theory since the keynote. I assume it's also why we're not seeing tethering yet. Their network is already at/past capacity, and they can't increase the amount of traffic that dramatically until they do some upgrading.

 

[TurboSC]

Don't get your hopes up, the majority of the time they have no idea what they're talking about...

 

[bdorpetzl]

The idea that their system is so f'ed up that they can't do batch changes like that is simply unfathomable.

I would agree, however, after dealing with their Business accounts that screwed billing up 3 months in a row due to incorrect assignment of data and text plans (that we were assured each time were "fixed") I sometimes wonder what goes on at AT&T. Even in that case it is most likely PEBKAC and not AT&T's system.

 

[joro]

I read somewhere earlier this week that the quick approaching release date was actually a slap in the face of AT&T from Apple due to AT&T’s inability to deliver on commitments it had made to Apple regarding its network capabilities. The way the story goes is that AT&T was expecting a launch until July – hence MMS not being available until “late summer” – and Apple didn’t tell them until Monday when they did the keynote that it would be launching so soon. I do foresee the AT&T and Apple contract not being renewed in 2010.

In terms of the MMS, if it really is just an issue of changing coding – which I don’t understand why they would put it on their to begin with – don’t they have a computer program or command they could make to do the change instead of apparently having to go in manually?

 

[DaGreat01]

What i dont get is why AT&T didnt get a head start in March when Apple said that MMS would be on the phone! Thats just stupid to me! Im sure Apple and AT&T communicate with each other and im sure that MMS on the iPhone was in the making LONG before it was said in March, so why didnt they get started?!

 

[joro]

What i dont get is why AT&T didnt get a head start in March when Apple said that MMS would be on the phone! Thats just stupid to me! Im sure Apple and AT&T communicate with each other and im sure that MMS on the iPhone was in the making LONG before it was said in March, so why didnt they get started?!

That’s a great point and something I didn’t consider. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the particular launch date, AT&T had a head start of 3 months to fix this problem. Makes you wonder…

 

[natasha69]

That’s a great point and something I didn’t consider. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the particular launch date, AT&T had a head start of 3 months to fix this problem. Makes you wonder…

Apple is still nimble.

ATT seems about as nimble as the Federal government, or worse, the CA State government. I'd say lets see a race between those three, but I could watch paint dry to completion before they were anywhere close to done with any task...

 

[mjerald]

They're not ready with 7.2mbs and when they are by 2011. We'll be on iPhone 5 by then.

 

[MDMac]

This whole ordeal is just insane. Could it be possible that AT&T has been working on improving capacity for a good while now? Maybe, maybe not. It sucked to have to have paid full price for a texting plan sans mms, but now that the phone supports it and AT&T does not reallly sucks.

I got an email reply from a csr who stated that apple is developing new software but have not released an official date for it's release. They even told me to visit apples website if I did not believe what they were telling me. The included a bunch of other flat-out lies, but what's the point. I'm you guys have heard it all before.

 

[natasha69]

this might be a key - in CA apparently the unions are having some issues negotiating a contract with ATT. my brother in laws brother (i know...plumbers best friend's mothers aunt...) said he barely works 40 hours a week now and just enjoys hunting most of the time.

so, is ATT working hard to build infrastructure? seems not.

 

[chattermark]

I wonder since I currently have a HTC Fuze and I am getting the 3Gs, so I dont have to change my plan since I already have unlimited text and unlimited data, and can currently send MMS on my phone. If I would be able to send the MMS when I get my iphone. What are your thoughts?

 

[KidFresh]

Could care less about MMS. I personally will be calling AT&T to block the feature so that my bill won't jump sky high. I know everyone and their mothers are initially going to have a field day with MMS since they've all waited so long for it.

 

[iceterminal]

Could care less about MMS. I personally will be calling AT&T to block the feature so that my bill won't jump sky high. I know everyone and their mothers are initially going to have a field day with MMS since they've all waited so long for it.

According to AT&T, MMS won't cost you anymore than a text message. Thus, no additional charges. So keep it on and MMS your days away!

 

[Bowlerguy10]

How much upgrading can they feasibly do in 2-3 months? Probably still not enough to fully "facilitate" iPhone users sending photos through their network if they are THAT deep in the hole.......

 

[slapppy]

Actual construction image

this might be a key - in CA apparently the unions are having some issues negotiating a contract with ATT. my brother in laws brother (i know...plumbers best friend's mothers aunt...) said he barely works 40 hours a week now and just enjoys hunting most of the time.

so, is ATT working hard to build infrastructure? seems not.

I think so. I found an AT&T guy working on a cell tower putting holes on it or something.

 

[joro]

I think so. I found an AT&T guy working on a cell tower putting holes on it or something.

I was wondering who the guy working on the powerlines today was...haha

 

[TheMBC]

No way in hell can that be the real reason. The idea that their system is so f'ed up that they can't do batch changes like that is simply unfathomable.

Especially since they turned MMS OPT OUT on ALL iPhone accounts at once...