AT&T, its broadband network, Android phones, and their API: riding the cloud?
AT&T doesn't exactly have a good name, in terms of customer service and AT&T network availability. They were the only carrier releasing iPhones, and were quite late in the game releasing Android-based devices. Their history of locking up phones is well deserved, and Android isn't exactly a locker's dream (if anything, because Android customers are used to being able to install anything they like on their phone).
**AT&T seems to be determined to clear up their name.
They are carrying out a big network upgrade which will see the light around 2013. The goal is to have full 4G cover by then. There is one catch: in their announcement, they didn't specify if they meant "real 4G", or whether they are marketing LTE (3G's Long Term Evolution) as 4G. The difference is not as subtle as it seems: LTE is not 4G compliant. This could be seen as nitpicking: the good news is that AT&T is investing in their network infrastructure. This will make mobile access to the net even easier, and will facilitate the development of the cloud.
In 2011, they also announced support for 11 more Android devices. This will push AT&T even further from Apple, and will expand AT&T's somehow shy selection of Android devices. How locked will those phones be? Will they be able to install applications outside the default Android market? We will see. Regardless, it's good to see that AT&T is providing choice to their customers.
The third announcement is about availability of their API and tools to developers. Open Feint is a social gaming platform which allow users to compare scores, compete head to head or challenge each other. They are also releasing their HTML 5 toolkit. This SDK is basically aimed at creating device-independent, native-looking online applications. People will be able to purchase those applications using AT&T's billing service. Details are not available yet. However, by the looks of it, AT&T seems to long for their own app store where applications are multi-platform and people pay with them straight from their phone bill. How successful this will be is anybody's guess -- especially since their audience will be restricted to people with an AT&T contract.
All in all, AT&T is trying to work hard to improve their offers and join the cloud. However, it all seems to be happening in their own way -- with their own app store for their HTML5 toolkit, and with extreme locking with their Android phones.
