Government Warns iPad And Other Devices May Strain Networks

Many iPhone users around the country can attest that the device has put a strain on the AT&T network. Service is spotty in places and at times data connections are painfully slow. AT&T has lately been easing some of the restrictions on high bandwidth consuming applications lie VoIP and the Sling Player, which some say could make network slowdowns even worse in some areas.

The US government is warning that new devices like the iPad that are coming to market may put a strain on the networks they operate on. The warning came from Phil Bellaria, President Obama's director of scenario of planning for the Omnibus Broadband Initiative.

Bellaria refers to the outages that happened back in the dial-up days when AOL first rolled out unlimited internet access as an example of what the iPad and other devices might cause. It's clear that AT&T needs to improve its network and it is working on that. Whether or not the upgrades to the network will surface before the 3G version of the iPad lands is unclear. AT&T has a few months to go before those devices hit.