Following complaints that 3G wireless upload speeds on AT&T’s network are significantly slower than expected in several cities around the U.S., the company has issued a statement that there’s a software-related problem with equipment in certain cities.
Apparently the Alcatel-Lucent gear used to support AT&T’s wireless network has a software bug that’s dragging down 3G HSUPA upload speeds dramatically. That bug is impacting smartphone users, including iPhone owners, in several cities around the country.
AT&T’s official statement on the issue:
AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent jointly identified a software defect — triggered under certain conditions — that impacted uplink performance for Laptop Connect and smartphone customers using 3G HSUPA-capable wireless devices in markets with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. This impacts less than two percent of our wireless customer base. While Alcatel-Lucent develops the appropriate software fix, we are providing normal 3G uplink speeds and consistent performance for affected customers with HSUPA-capable devices.
Regions impacted by the wireless upload performance bug include New York City, Boston, Orlando, Philadelphia, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Seattle, and more.
AT&T isn’t offering a timeframe for the fix, although it’s reassuring to know that this isn’t an intentional speed cap like some iPhone users feared.