AT&T Invites iPhone Users to Flag Coverage Problems

By Geoff Duncan December 7, 2009

It’s one thing to solicit feedback from customers, but AT&T may soon be getting more feedback than it bargained for: the company has just released AT&T Mark the Spot for iPhone users, and iPhone application that enables customers to submit reports on dropped calls and other issues they experience with AT&T’s network. The application can submit real-time reports with local GPS coordinates when a failure occurs, or (if customers can’t get any signal at all) send a delayed report later when a customer gets back into range of AT&T services.

AT&T Mark the Spot app (location) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Users can also send optional comments with reports—we’re sure AT&T is going to love reading those—and opt to receive an SMS message acknowledging the report was received correctly. The application also ties in with the iPhone Maps application so users can pinpoint where the failure occurred. (The app requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.)

The move comes after a very public brouhaha between AT&T and Verizon regarding network coverage areas, with Verizon touting the size of its U.S. 3G coverage compared to AT&T, and AT&T responding with claims that its network offers greater bandwidth than Verizon’s. The companies even launched litigation against each other, but have since agreed to tone back the rhetoric rather than go to court. Nonetheless, the quality and availability of AT&T’s voice and data services has been a long-standing issue for iPhone users, many of whom have been frustrated by unreliable and spotty coverage. However, may iPhone owners (particularly in urban areas) don’t experience significant coverage problems.

AT&T Mark the Spot app (submit) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

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