Wow, so it's not a matter of them unable to provide service up there, it's just the fact they don't want to.

I guess that fancy, whiz bang full-featured internet (as opposed to the kinda-sorta internet we're all used to) is going to tax their data streams too much.

Anyways, when has AT&T ever been for the consumer? Anytime they say something's "good for the customer" RUN LIKE A BEAR, FAST!!

I bet AT&T would do an about-face if there were rumblings of the State of Alaska finding some forgotten taxes to stick on AT&T. Of course I haven't forgotten that AT&T used to be SBC.. they can change the name but the stench is still perceptible.

Or you could just use a phone that does have service in your area. Why are people raising such a fuss about this one phone?

@Buran:

The phone works there, AT&T just doesn't want to support/sell it.

Oh, my God. It is *just a phone.* Who gives a rat's arse if you can't get it in Alaska?

@Hawk07:

Phones getting beyond WAP (the biggest fucking waste of time and effort in the history of computing) is about the only thing that could compel me to get anything above the basic 20 dollar plain white box with black lettering phone.

I think that feature is a big deal.

@OBoogie:

Yeah, considering last time I was there, you couldn't get service in half the areas their maps claimed you could. (Fairbanks was a mine field of dead zones)

@Hawk07: If you consider "working for 4 months" working.

It works. Because it roams. AT&T doesn't offer non-roaming.

I don't see why there's this huge fuss about this. I don't see people whining because they can't buy the JDM Integra Type R in the US. (why not? because it's not sold here! Duh!).

@buran:

thats because they are sold in other countries not other states.

If they sold JDM Intregras in alaska and not california, their would be plenty of complaining.

Now, is this a way to get out of paying the 195$ early termination fee?

bhahahahahah

It isn't just Alaska -- Montana has the same problem (the only GSM available to locals in Montana is Chinook Wireless), as do scattered rural areas in many other states (the northern LP and the UP of Michigan, etc.)

@endless:

Now, is this a way to get out of paying the 195$ early termination fee?

Are people really that dumb? It's a cellphone. It won't work in Alaska. That sucks. Life must go on.

It will work in Alaska, on roaming on some other provider. But AT&T will cancel your contract if you spend more than 50% of your minutes a month roaming for so many consecutive months, so no, you can't get one in Alaska. Who cares, its a stupid phone anyways.

Ship a $600 phone to Alaska for $1.48? Yeah, that sounds safe...

Eventually, someone will unlock the phone and it'll be all over Ebay. If there is a GSM carrier in Alaska, they could buy it, unlock it and then use it on the other carrier.

Also, most phones end up at other carriers after some period of time, like 6 months.

Dude, the phone would need to make my bed and wash my dishes to make me even consider flying somewhere and going through all of this proposed effort just for a cell phone.

@yg17

So because you don't like the phone (or for whatever reason can't/don't want one), its stupid, and the whole issue is irrelevant?
The iphone is eagerly anticipated for a reason. I see no justice in being upset at Alaskans for having a beef.

Wait, so after 4 months in Alaska, service gets cancelled? So I don't have to pay the $175 cancellation fee?

Sweet.

I'm not sure who does supply service in Alaska. My son went with Sprint (don't ask me why), got stationed in Alaska, and the roaming charges were killing him. We went to the Sprint store and told and showed the associate there that there was no service in Alaska, and he canceled the contract (what little was actually left) without any charge. We just had to pay the final bill. Yuck!

He's using Cellular One now. I think.

So, in reality the Alaskans are getting the best deal since they can get of the two-year contract for free in four months and then go with whoever they want. I don't see what the whining is about.

@CMU_Bueller: Because the $499 phone would only work for four months on AT&T's network and then wouldn't work anymore since AT&T is the ONLY group that uses GSM in America, AFAIK.

@rhesuspieces00: Yea, but the plane ticket, and hotel fees will be wayyyy more than $175

i for one, am moving to alaska, to start a iphone laundering service.

people can send me their iphones and i send them one that i have been using for 4 months in alaska.

charge them 33% of what the fee would cost.

niiiice

@tedyc03: TMobile is also a GSM carrier.

Re: using the 4-month roaming service cancellation as a way to get out of the contract without ETF: I wouldn't want to be the first one to try it, it wouldn't surprise me if they still wanted the ETF just for meanness, though if THEY cancel you they're probably not legally entitled to it.

Am I missing something here? This is just a phone right? What is really the big fuss about?

Assuming that AT&T offer normal service in Alaska, but just aren't offering the iPhone there, then it would be possible to buy the phone in Washington, and swap the Washington SIM for an Alaska SIM.
The Alaska SIM would not be "roaming" so would not be cut off after 4 months (although you could buy the Alaska SIM after getting the Washington one cut off for excessive roaming)
The only way to prevent the iPhone working with a valid AT&T SIM is to blacklist it in the EIR. I think that they would be on shaky ground if they tried to do this without the phone being reported as stolen.

I would think that they won't sell it in Alaska because most of the cellphone service there is "extended coverage" area, which often limits the features you can use. So many of the iPhone's advanced features (seen on nearly every picture of the damn thing) probably wouldn't work. Would you really want to be the customer service rep at AT&T that has to explain to an angry horde of customers that their $600 phone is now basicly a shinier version of a $10 phone?

People seem to be assuming it will be possible to unlock this phone. Given apples history, do you really think they're going to make it possible to use their device in a manner they dont approve?

Dont forget, most manufacturers add the subsidy lock only for the american carriers branded phones. They're making unbranded phones too. Apple isn't making any unbranded phones and has an exclusive contract with att for 5 years. I don't think it will be so easy to get unlocked. I'm certain neither apple or att will unlock it for you.

That being said, I firmly believe that there is no security that cant be broken. There is just security that is so hard to break it's not worth the effort. I give it no more than 6 mos before we see iphones running linux.

All this hype about the iPhone is getting ridiculous.

@cac67:

"People seem to be assuming it will be possible to unlock this phone. Given apples history, do you really think they're going to make it possible to use their device in a manner they dont approve?"

Assuming the phone isn't a bust and truly becomes a must have item, I don't think it will take too long to crack.

As much as it can do, I'm sure some people will want to do more with it.

I like my phone to ring and make outgoing calls. Anything more is an unnecessary luxury.

@synergy: I hear that! I wish I could take my old land line phone and just shrink it to cell phone size. Even the most basic cell phone I could buy from my provider still has some sort of "connect to the Internet" feature or texting capabilities. I just want to make a phone call! No texts, no ringer downloads, no web capabilities, just a simple phone that's a step above two cans and string.

@ShadowFalls: You must not be familiar with the well documented "Baaaaa Baaaaa" disorder which affects millions of Americans every year.

I try to stay out of states that have bears.

The iPhone is being touted as the new Blackberry by some, and the replacement laptop by others. It has the potential to do everything that a Mac does (music, video, pictures, internet, WP, dayplanner, games, pron) plus it's a phone. It's the new thing, but smart people have learned from the iPod not to buy apple products until the 3rd or fourth iteration.

@cac67: Ye of little faith. Make a few more comments like that on other forums and someone will take it as a timed challenge to hack the phone.

Trust me, someone will figure it out. It might even end up on here...

Iphone..it is the next Edsel.

@LizS
Apple and AT&T have inked a five-year exclusive deal, according to blogs on the Interblart. Also, Dobson has service in Alaska, among any other local carriers, AFAIK.

@tedyc03
GSM carriers in the USA: [www.gsmworld.com] (hint: 60 live networks of various sizes)