AT&T Mobility certainly has taken its lumps throughout the year as numerous articles, blogs and online forums have continued to highlight the anger iPhone users have toward AT&T due to dropped calls, poor coverage and delayed messages.

In short, data usage is growing at an exponential rate, data traffic is unpredictable in nature and the iPhone's easy-to-use interface facilitates all of that data. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the newer iPhone 3GS offers speeds averaging up to twice as fast as the iPhone 3G, enabling faster web page rendering and quicker application launches.

Recently, Consumer Reports ranked AT&T the lowest in customer satisfaction in 19 out of 26 cities, while the company's major competitor Verizon Wireless ranked highest in all of the 26 markets.

"Apple's iPhones are the top smartphones in our ratings--actually, among the best of all phones we tested, period--but their exclusive carrier, AT&T, was middling at best in satisfaction," Consumer Reports declared. "If you're readying to buy Apple's phone, prepare for possible disappointment with its service and expect to love the phone anyway."

For months, I have witnessed AT&T be defensive about the issue, even downright arrogant since it is the only game in town with the highly coveted iPhone.  

Recently I've seen a change in AT&T in terms of its willingness to publicly engage customers and swallow its pride. This week the operator introduced a free iPhone app called "Mark the Spot" that allows AT&T customers to report dropped calls, failed calls, zero coverage, poor coverage or data failure for a given location. Customers can also indicate if their problems are occurring occasionally or on a consistent basis. Customers can also add their own comments. It's a good move that will help customers feel empowered. AT&T just needs to show that it is really listening and responding. - Lynnette