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AT&T Could Be Holding SlingPlayer Back From The App Store

Posted April 22, 2009 11:00 AM by Tanner Godarzi
Categories: App Store Apple Applications AT&T Business Problems 

imageThe much anticipated SlingPlayer App for the iPhone may have encountered some delays on its way to the App Store but a rumor is floating around that the iPhone’s US carrier, AT&T, is asking Apple to deny the App in fear of the unprecedented amount of network traffic it would generate.

Wireless carriers instill data caps to thwart data hemorrhaging users but AT&T may be over stepping its boundaries and exploiting their exclusive relationship with Apple to protects its interests over what would appeal to consumers. The problem AT&T would have with the SlingPlayer App is the amount of data downloaded by an iPhone users to watch video content. It all comes down to data consumption, something AT&T has been wary of since the iPhone’s launch and not so much the competition generated from a possible SlingPlayer App and AT&T’s own over the air TV packages as the later is unavailable for the iPhone.

While SlingPlayer has heard nothing from AT&T or Apple on the status of its App, BoyGenius has heard that the decision was to deny the App for the previously listed reasons: bandwidth consumption. The irony of this is that SlingPlayer has been available for other AT&T Smartphones and has met no opposition from the carrier but its availability on the iPhone seems to pose a problem for AT&T. The expected remedy would be SlingPlayer to download content over a WiFi connection

Via: Gizmodo

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Comments

  1. This is ridiculous.  What is their REAL justification.  Not to be forgotten, the iPhone would NOT be the first AT&T phone to have SlingPlayer on it.

    Posted by Spencer Schoeben on April 22, 2009 5:15 PM

  2. Best Buy ad for next week advertises Slingbox ability to stream to IPhone…Do they know something?

    http://s645.photobucket.com/albums/uu178/franchise1/BB042609/?action=view&current=BB-0426-07.jpg

    Posted by Brent on April 23, 2009 1:13 AM

  3. Technology evolves, networks evolve, 10 years from now we’ll be using phones in ways we can’t even dream of right now.  If the consumers want video streaming to their iphone, someone will eventually provide it.

    I can understand if AT&T’s current network can’t handle the traffic.  Perhaps it should be wifi only until it has more bandwidth.

    Posted by Kiriakos on April 24, 2009 3:12 PM

  4. It’s all about control of an over extended network.  Apple/AT&T have sold an enormous amount of iphones in the past and previous year since its release.  I wouldn’t be surprised that if they allowed the use of the slingplayer on their network with the current number of iphones out there, the network would come to a crashing halt or be so slow it would cause an uproar amongst all AT&T customers.  It’s all about perception.  Sure AT&T is a large network, it’s just that with their current architecture they probably cannot support the onslaught of possible bandwidth usage at this time.  They are currently in the midst of a re-architecture of their network this year, and until AT&T can support a bandwidth buffet they will probably sway to be conservative and protect their credibility.

    Posted by squint0241 on April 25, 2009 2:03 AM

  5. If that is true. I WILL BOYCOTT THEM BOTH! Screw AT&T and their hidden agendas. I hope they get their pants sued off!

    Posted by Computer Nut on April 26, 2009 4:39 AM

  6. So way don’t we start a wave to push Apple away from AT&T.  Maybe other providers won’t push back and control Apple so much?

    Posted by Alex on April 26, 2009 1:08 PM

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