Carrier Update

Next year could be it for AT&T. Customers are losing patience with spotty service. Lawyers are filing class action lawsuits about the lack of MMS. Now Piper Jaffray senior research analyst Gene Munster has forecast the end of Apple's iPhone exclusivity deal with AT&T.

According to Munster, the economics of the situation don't make sense for Apple, as evidenced with the success they've had in France moving to a multiple carrier business model. Market share for the iPhone in France has increased to 40 percent since they ended an exclusive deal with Orange.

Interested in your own personal cell tower? AT&T is poised to release its femtocell solution for individual users, dubbed the MicroCell. iPhone users rejoice, you have not been forgotten. iTunes has started delivering a carrier update that will support the use of 3G iPhones with the MicroCell device.

Carrier updates are files that include settings which tell the iPhone how to connect to the cellular network and where to look for data such as maps, stocks, and weather. The AT&T MicroCell will require a broadband Internet connection, GPS reception, and will provide support for up to ten 3G mobile devices (even if they're not iPhones).