iPhone Users Revolt Against AT&T

Note: This story was updated after the revolution took place. Read to the end to learn the outcome.

If your iPhone starts running slower than usual today, take it as a sign that the consumer revolt against AT&T (Stock Quote: T) is under way.

What’s the iPhone revolt? Ask Jamie Richard… he’s one of the revolters.

Richard, and potentially thousands of his comrades, are taking part in Operation Chokehold, which aims to get as many iPhone (Stock Quote: AAPL)  users as possible to “turn on a data intensive app and run that app for one solid hour,” starting at 12pm PST. By doing so, these frustrated customers hope to freeze AT&T’s network, holding it hostage. The reason why so many may be taking part is because while many people love their iPhones, they often hate the service provided by AT&T. (Read MainStreet's previous coverage of AT&T service complaints.)

Richard, a 22-year old computer networking student at Rochester Institute of Technology,  can list off a million reasons why he is dissatisfied with his AT&T service.  Every week, he says, anywhere from 10-15 of his calls are dropped. When he’s in rural areas, like his parents’ home in Western Massachusetts, he can’t get any service, but when he’s in densely populated areas, he finds the service is overloaded and slow.

Yet, even with all of that, Richard continues to stick with AT&T for one reason: he loves the iPhone. “I have a family of iPhone addicts on my hands,” he said.  “I have tried the Droid, the Pre, several other Android handsets and a myriad of dumb phones, but none of them provide the same level of satisfaction as the iPhone.”