The readers of Business Traveler Magazine have selected AT&T as having the, "Best Mobile Coverage in the World." The award was part of an annual survey of readers on various issues, including cell phone coverage, conducted by the magazine.

"We are truly honored that Business Traveler readers have once again chosen AT&T as having the Best Mobile Phone Coverage in the World," said Bill Hague, executive vice president of International for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, in a statement.

The selection of AT&T by the magazine's readers comes at a time when AT&T is under increasing criticism for the quality of its network in crowded urban centers. The company has added iPhone users at a clip that has overwhelmed the bandwidth capacity of that network.

At the same time, Verizon has struck a chord with consumers in a series of ads called "There's a Map for That" comparing Verizon's larger, slower 3G network to AT&T's smaller, but faster network.

Consumer complaints and advertising hits together have resulted in calls from AT&T customers asking AT&T to hurry the pace of improving and expanding its network, a process that takes time.

Business travellers, however, seem not to be focusing on any of those issues, and consumers are still buying new iPhones to use on AT&T's network like they were iPods.