Dept. of “What’s in a Name?”
By By David Volk November 29, 2010
This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of Seattle magazine.
Although Apple users know they might not get much help at a
Microsoft store, AT&T wireless subscribers were shocked to discover poor
coverage while attending sporting events in a stadium that just happens to be
named after a different telecom company. Folks who attended Seattle Seahawks
and Seattle Sounders games routinely complained that they couldnt make calls or
send text messages from their iPhones from Qwest Field.
While it may have seemed like a plot to
convince AT&T users to switch to Qwest, it turns out AT&T was to blame
because of (gasp!) problems in its 3G network. It later upgraded voice and
digital service to Qwest Field and Husky Stadium, where similar problems had
been reported.