Verizon handling iPhone traffic well, so far

With the introduction of the iPhone, Verizon and its customers have been worried about the issues AT&T fell subject to when it began its Apple-exclusive contract. Generally slower speeds, particularly in metropolitan areas and for heavy data users, have been among the justified concerns.

According to Gigaom, a report from app performance analyst Compuware Gomez says the carrier is thus far handling the iPhone’s introduction well. “The report states that Verizon’s mobile data performance seems untouched by the addition of hundreds of thousands of data-hungry iPhones to the network. There was virtually no change.”

Verizon’s performance was measured over the first four days of iPhone availability. Despite the poor showing at the in-store launches, pre-orders for the phone were filled to capacity within 24 hours of being listed. The report claims that somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 new iPhone customers were added to the Verizon network, and miraculously the carrier hasn’t run into any issue supporting these users.

Of course, it’s a little early to determine whether or not Verizon can handle the iPhone strain. It’s also important to note that some of those “new” iPhone users are simply previous Verizon customers who have swapped their previous handsets for the iOS device, meaning there is minimal change in the bandwidth they are using. AT&T fell victim to a congested network soon after introducing the iPhone, and there’s no guarantee Verizon isn’t in for the same fate. Still, a smooth first week of coverage means it’s off to a good start. Maybe the bandwidth-limiting Verizon preemptively employed is just that effective.

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