AT&T Activations Servers Overloaded with iPhone 4S Launch

This is not a surprise.

You would think 5 phones later, AT&T would be more prepared for days like this.

Is it too much to ask that iPhone owners just wait a few hours?

Apparently. We live in the 'right now' culture, I guess.

Me? I'd rather wait a little while rather than pay AT&T even more money so they can build up a system for activating a million iPhones at once that will only get used once a year. What a waste of money.


Likewise, it didn't bother me that it took awhile for me to download iOS 5. When everyone's trying to do the same thing it's gonna slow you down. Ever been to a concert or sporting event? Sometimes you've just gotta wait.

Look at it from AT&T's perspective. Why spent millions upon millions to overhaul a system that only ***** the bed once a year for a very specific group of people?

This is not a surprise.

You would think 5 phones later, AT&T would be more prepared for days like this.

And you would think Apple would learn requiring a new sim card for every iPhone causes some major problems. The iPhone is the only phone that does not reuse sim cards. The aim card in my phone is nearly 4 years old and on its third cell phone. My dad's sim still says Cingular on it and going great. Apple on the other hand does not reuse them and cause the servers to get slammed. You would think Apple would learn. A lot of the blame lies with Apple for not using the standards of gsm on this one.

yep. dead in the water again. 1.5 hours, nada

Did AT&T know about today?

With one million of these selling in the first 24 hours and with untold millions landing today I don't think there is any way (frustrated as I am) to expect any infrastructure to handle this kind of a load. I think Apple needs to grow up and stop with these preschool launches. Sure, they build buzz but these growing customer numbers mean that the buzz leads to disappointment. This roll out should have happened in stages, not on one day. They pulled this with the iPhone 3G with the launch of Mobile Me on the same day and almost brought everything crashing down. Apple needs to realize it is no longer a toy com pay but a major player with real lives, real work and real money on the line and act accordingly.

----------

HEY I GOT AN EMAIL!

It is from BevMo and it's telling me about a great wine sale. Since my phone won't activate, I think I'll go there and look at wine. Wine works, is easy to activate and leaves a happy feeling afterward.

Not bothered at all with the activation delay. Millions of phones trying to do the same thing at the same time. Any simpleton with good old common sense would find it understandable. Life is short. Don't sweat the small stuff.

you mean figuratively.

No, AT&T is literally a joke.

Troy: "[Britta] You're the AT&T of people"

As has happened in the past, it seems AT&T's activation servers are having problems with the large influx of activations with the iPhone 4S launch.

And clearly they didn't learn from. /facepalm

Best bet is to just keep trying. I'm on attempt #8. I think. :eek:

And you would think Apple would learn requiring a new sim card for every iPhone causes some major problems. The iPhone is the only phone that does not reuse sim cards. The aim card in my phone is nearly 4 years old and on its third cell phone. My dad's sim still says Cingular on it and going great. Apple on the other hand does not reuse them and cause the servers to get slammed. You would think Apple would learn. A lot of the blame lies with Apple for not using the standards of gsm on this one.

If that were the case then wouldn't all iPhone carriers have the same problem...no, Verizon and Sprint are reportedly activating people without any problems, even with the iPhone sim card issue that your talking about.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20120568-17/iphone-4s-buyers-complain-of-at-t-activation-issues/

Let's not deflect this - AT&T has failed historically in it's ability to prepare for an iPhone release and 2011 is no different.