As AT&T's customer satisfaction dropped to last place in 19 crucial markets in the United States, it's unknown which wireless provider will next be able to offer the popular Apple iPhone in the United States.
The iPhone on Verizon Wireless, AT&T's biggest competitor, seemed like an obvious choice for 2010. Verizon is reportedly the most reliable wireless provider in the USA, with the largest subscriber base. Even so, Verizon seems more interested in promoting the Motorola Droid and has launched recent advertisement attacks against the iPhone, leading many to believe there will be no home on VZW for the iPhone.
T-mobile is a likely candidate, as the iPhone is already supported by their parent company, Deutsche Telekom. Similar to AT&T, T-Mobile also supports a GSM wireless network, but their 3G data coverage is much smaller than other providers.
T-Mobile would also need Apple's assistance to enable 3G on the T-Mobile version of the iPhone, as AT&T and T-Mobile use different bands of the 3G spectrum.
If T-Mobile does manage to wrangle the iPhone, it likely won't be an exclusive deal, as T-Mobile has around half the number of subscribers as AT&T.
Apple has made the iPhone available on multiple carriers outside of the United States, with two providers in the U.K. currently carrying the phone and another slated to market the phone in January.
The disappointment in AT&T ranking last among the major phone providers should also give T-Mobile an opportunity to attempt to woo Apple.
