New Apple iPhone lawsuit claims AT&T oversold its network

Newsbrief by Ricky Cadden on Thursday September 04, 2008.

William J. Gillis, Jr. has filed a class action lawsuit in California, stating that AT&T and Apple knowingly oversold the new iPhone 3G, causing network degradation on AT&T. Gillis claims this degradation is affecting other 3G users at AT&T, not just iPhone users, and is a serious matter.

The lawsuit asks for class action status, so that every AT&T customer in California - iPhone owner or not - could receive compensation for slow and intermittent network coverage. Gillis is seeking punitive damages, as well as an injunction requiring both Apple and AT&T publicly reveal the iPhone's true capabilities, and compensatory damages to be paid out to the plaintiffs. [via: AppleInsider]

Looks as if Apple lawyers will have plenty of work.

Even if AT&T knowingly sold more plans than their network could handle, and even if their contracts garanteed some basic level of service which has not been met, I don't see how Apple is even remotely responsible.

That's like blaming air conditioner manufacturers for California's rolling blackouts back in 2000.

I'd agree with that if a buyer wasn't required to sign up for and maintain a $30/mo data plan.  If the data plan wasn't required, a customer could then simply drop that feature and not pay for service he/she doesn't feel they are getting.  One isn't paying for their A/C blasting away if the power is out :)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think frank's point is that he could see AT&T being liable, but NOT Apple.  I kind of agree, but it's a pretty tight relationship/partnership.

I hope Apple is pressuring them to get their network capacity issues resolved.  It's making them look bad when it seems most of the problems are network related.