AT&T's YouTube PR Video Falls Flat

AT&T's YouTube post aimed at damage control over increasing coverage complaints for its wireless network seems to have not helped at all. In fact, a look at the comments on their YouTube video (below) shows that, if anything, it's made customers more angry.

The video, hosted by Seth Bloom AKA "Seth the blogger guys," tries to explain the network issues, as well as the long delay in delivering MMS, which was launched for on other iPhone carriers when the iPhone OS 3.0 launched.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but AT&T's stance is that it's smartphones that have drained the network of every ounce of network bandwidth, and although not explicitly stated, the iPhone in particular.

That said, one has to look at this message and ask, "why aren't other networks worldwide chiming in with the same excuses?"

Here's an example, from Norway:

Here in Norway MMS has been available since 2002. Outages is almost unheard of, and when it happens it becomes national news.

I use my cell phone to pay for parking, buy movie tickets, paying my bills (mobile banking services) and I can even use my cell phone to buy a Coke at a soda machine...

So for me the problems you seem to have in the U.S. is a mystery. You're still working on? MMS support?!?

More complaints:

Thanks for letting u know how cell phones work. However, other companies also have smart-phones? on their networks with MMS, tethering and a bunch of other features. Here is the bottom-line AT&T is full of excuses and doesn't deserve our business. AT&T should give refunds to customers for services paid for but not delivered, and APPLE must open the IPhone to other carries to relieve AT&T of this burden they can not carry.

...

AT&T has gained millions of new customers since the introduction of the iPhone, saved billions of advertising and marketing dollars because Apple does their own iPhone ads an promotions, and AT&T has failed to use those profits to provide their customers with services available to every other customer not using an iPhone. You can't use SlingPlayer (available on Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones), Skype, or Google Voice on their network because of their failures.

...

The iPhone has been out for more than two years now, and I STILL can't tether my iPhone. If I bought a Blackberry today, I can use AT&T to send MMS and tether it to my computer, so why am I penalized for buying the iPhone. If AT&T can't keep up with the traffic, then you should let Apple market the iPhone to other carriers who can. What's the point of upgrading your network for future customers if when that time comes you don't have any customers left?

...

BULL SH*T. You didn't plan for expansion, you didn't think ahead of the game and upgrade your infrastructure prior to rolling out the IPhone 3G and 3GS, you just wanted to make a buck and then stick everyone with a $100+ a month contract that they couldn't get out? of and have the entire network go tits up and all your users suffer without being able go to another carrier because we're STUCK in a two-year contract from hell!!! YOU SUCK AT&T.

While many posit that when/if the iPhone moves to Verizon, users there will see the same issues as on AT&T, once critical mass arrives. It's true that the iPhone is a data hog, or as the NY Times called it, "the Hummer of cell phones."

That Norway user does bring up a good point, however, as do other commenters who post about not just wireless but also broadband. Why is the U.S. so far behind?

Watch Seth: