AT&T Atrix 4G owners have been claiming that upload speeds have been throttled to a measly 300 kbps since the phone has been shipping. AT&T initially claimed it was looking into the problem, then later backpedaled and stated that it was testing the 4G network to make sure it was working properly when it was turned on. Funny the ads didn’t mention it wasn’t enabled yet. Representatives from the carrier have now stated that the two 4G-capable handsets it sells, the Atrix 4G and Inspire 4G, will get software updates in April enabling the faster speeds that are expected on HSUPA phones.
The company hasn’t issued an official statement yet, but the above admission appeared today on its Facebook page. The statement that the upcoming Samsung Infuse 4G will ship with HSUPA enabled implies that it is intentionally not enabled in the two phones being sold by AT&T, as owners have been stating.
While it’s good that owners of the affected phones will finally get the feature they are paying for, AT&T should be required to explain its actions to both the public and regulatory agencies. It’s not right to sell a service as active that is in fact not turned on yet, and then deny it’s not enabled in the only phones that support it. That doesn’t pass the smell test in my book.
