Verizon iPhone rumors have reached a fever pitch. While Verizon is expected to announce on Tuesday that it will begin carrying the iPhone, AT&T is already attacking the rival network's capabilities.
After reports surfaced about Verizon's plans to offer unlimited data plans to new iPhone customers (something AT&T did away with last year), AT&T PR boss Larry Solomon contacted Business Insider with the following critique of the Verizon network: "The iPhone is built for speed, but that's not what you get with a CDMA phone. I'm not sure iPhone users are ready for life in the slow lane."
Business Insider accepts Solomon's attack on Verizon as a confirmation of a Verizon-Apple partnership.
AT&T's $30-per-month data plans, which allowed users to consume as much Internet content as they pleased, became a strain on the network last summer, AP reports. Speculation suggests that Verizon will offer similarly priced unlimited data plans for iPhone customers.
While AT&T's Larry Solomon feels that Verizon's network will be overwhelmed by iPhone data hogs, the Wall Street Journal writes that "Verizon executives point to their network's success handling already heavy laptop traffic and a growing number of data-guzzling Android-based smartphone users on its main, 3G network."
In addition, Verizon's new 4G LTE network will be a great asset, Verizon CTO Anthony J. Melone told the Wall Street Journal. "We added enormous capacity to the network in one fell swoop," Mr. Melone said. "It is there waiting for us to grow into it. That will help me tremendously with my 3G network."
Some such as Robert Scoble are of the mindset that AT&T has offered "horrible service over the past three years" and that customers should jump at the opportunity to switch carriers.
While AT&T should be worried about a Verizon iPhone, it's still the number-two network in the United States. "The network has been preparing itself for the loss of its iPhone exclusivity contract for a long time," writes Mashable. "It's ready to do battle with Verizon."
The iPhone wars may just be beginning.