International carriers blame Apple for iPhone 3G problems

Both T-Mobile in the Netherlands and Vodafone in Australia have suggested that connection and reception problems with the iPhone 3G were caused by the device, and not by their networks. In a posting (Translated link) on its company blog, T-Mobile Netherlands blamed Apple for the problems, saying, “The 3G coverage of T-Mobile is as good as the competition, there can therefore not lie. We suspect that it is a hardware / software specific issue of the iPhone itself.” CNet reports that “there can therefore not lie” should actually be translated as “so that should not be the issue.” A separate story from the Sydney Morning Herald cites an unnamed telecom source as saying that Apple provided carriers with the iPhone 3G the day before the device hit the market, leaving no time for proper testing. Jessica Forrest, a spokeswoman for Vodafone Australia, added that the iPhone 3G issues were device-specific and had nothing to do with the carriers’ networks. “We are aware of the issues on the iPhone 3G and we’re working with Apple to provide a solution,” she said.