Apple Tablet not necessarily on Verizon Wireless, analysts say

Computerworld - An Apple tablet computer, expected to be introduced next week, will run on both AT&T and Verizon Wireless 3G networks, reports say, but two industry sources warned today to not assume Verizon is on board.

It is possible both carriers had made deals to provide wireless service earlier in the week, however some last minute changes may be related to business decisions and have little to do with technology limitations.

The two analysts spoke separately with Computerworld on the condition of anonymity, which may indicate the carrier situation is probably volatile and could change before Apple's expected tablet announcement next Wednesday.

Additionally, the device is only expected to be announced that day, and any internal components could be altered prior to its initial shipment a few weeks later.

Spokesmen for both the carriers said they would not comment on the issue.

Analyst Jack Gold, of J. Gold Associates, said he thought it makes more sense for Apple to have as many carriers on board as possible to increase reach and sales, and AT&T and Verizon each have more than 80 million customers. "Apple would be nuts to not have as many carriers as possible," Gold said.

Gold also said he presumed that Apple would want to make the tablet work on Verizon's network just to "get as far away" from AT&T, which has held the exclusive on the iPhone and has been drubbed by iPhone users unhappy with AT&T's network.

From a technology standpoint, it wouldn't be hard for the tablet to support both networks. Doing so would require the device to have radio chipsets for both a GSM network, which AT&T uses, and a CDMA network, which Verizon uses.

Of course, that doesn't mean two separate radios are needed inside each tablet, since Qualcomm Inc. makes the Mobi chipset, which combines both GSM and CDMA, Gold said.

Having two separate radios in one device could raise the cost by $30 to $50, something Apple would likely avoid even if the new tablet costs more than $500, he said.

Gold said it seemed unlikely that Apple would have two separate tablet models, one for CDMA and the other for GSM, but he noted that many phone manufacturers do so.

And if Apple is trying to avoid an exclusive deal with this expected launch, Gold said he also wondered why the tablet wouldn't work on more than two carriers in the U.S., since T-Mobile USA runs a separate 3G network based on GSM.

The proposition that more than one carrier could support the Apple tablet suggests there will some kind of competition for throughput, or speed, a user gets. Most measurements of speeds are based on averages over broad areas, and don't account for individual differences, including whether a nearby cell tower is congested with many users or near tall buildings and other obstructions, analysts noted.

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said in December that the carrier was having problems in New York City and San Francisco, where networks performed "below standards." In San Francisco's financial district, for example, antennas needed to be replaced, he noted.