Bandwidth-guzzling iPhone users may face limitations on their usage, according to AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega. Speaking at the UBS Media conference in New York Wednesday, he said the carrier is
looking at ways to encourage high-bandwidth users to modify their behavior. While de la Vega didn't say exactly what steps AT&T would take toward that end, he said carriers might have to consider some
type of usage-based pricing.
His comments come in the wake of AT&T's well-publicized difficulties keeping up with data traffic from iPhone customers, especially in the major markets of New
York and San Francisco. De la Vega promised that service in those cities would see significant performance improvements soon.
To help address complaints, AT&T this week launched an iPhone app
that lets subscribers report network problems like dropped calls and poor voice quality. De la Vega said the bulk of major network issues have been concentrated in New York and San Francisco. He also
confirmed that just 3% of its smartphone users account for 40% of its data traffic. --Mark Walsh