AT&T Explains iPhone 3G Problem Once And For All?

A source at AT&T has explained the problems underlying the iPhone 3G issues, how those issues were dealt with in firmware update 2.0.2, and why the update didn't fix everything:

Each iPhone requires a small amount of power from the transmitter and that power is requested by the phone itself. If too many phones ask for too much power at once, the transmitter starts shutting down, resulting in dropped calls. The iPhone 3G was asking for too much power and, in 2.0.2, has been fixed to stop requesting that power so often.

Got it. But why didn't 2.0.2 solve the connection issues (ignoring for the moment the apps it may have broken)? CrunchGear boils it down for us:

The result is a net effect: if everyone upgraded, we'd all be OK. But since folks are slow to update, the problem persists. The only way to fix this once and for all would be to push an over the air update to the phones, something I'm not sure Apple can or will do.

If true, this report would explain a lot. It would also highlight the inevitable problems with Apple's close-mouthed internal policy (admittedly a failing shared by other companies like, say, Microsoft and Sony) - witness the "surprise" of exploding batteries and combustible iPod Nanos.

Straight from AT&T: We're working on reception problems, but it's your fault [CrunchGear]
[via DailyTech]