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Et Tu O2?

New York and San Francisco aren't the only cities where iPhone users are dealing with sluggish Web connections and dropped lines. And AT&T apparently isn't the only wireless operator having trouble coping with data congestion caused by the iPhone.

Ronan Dunne, CEO of UK-based carrier 02, has apologized to customers who couldn't make calls because the company's London network was overwhelmed by bandwidth-guzzling smartphones. Dunne told the Financial Times he was disappointed with O2's network performance over the last six months and said the carrier was making headway toward fixing the problems.

That echoes the recent acknowledgment by AT&T Mobility head Ralph de la Vega of below-par wireless service in New York and San Francisco, and promise to do better in those cities through a series of network upgrades.

To improve 02's service, Dunne said the company is adding 200 mobile base stations in London and working with infrastructure partners to boost network performance. It's also consulting with handset makers including Apple and BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion to learn more about applications that may strain the network.

Does this mean Londoners can soon look forward to an inexplicable iPhone sales blackout online?

Read the whole story at Financial Times »

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