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Updated: AT&T Causing Major Hiccup in iPhone Launch?

It seems increasingly clear that AT&T is even more of a weak link in the iPhone launch than people thought. But it's not the Edge network that's the problem, it's that iPhones are glossy bricks until activated by AT&T, and that activation procedure seemingly has more holes than Swiss cheese.

Read on for examples:

• Ryan McIntyre: Unwarranted credit denial
  
• Brad Feld: Unwarrented credit denial
  
• Tech-Recipes: Delayed email confirmation
• Digg: ATT phone/web support is down
• And I'm getting more and more similar stories via email
  

Further to my WSJ oped on Friday, could there be any clearer confirmation that the carriers are flailing and doom-bound? Getting this right and smooth was crucial to Apple, and you can be sure there are some exfoliatingly angry phone-calls between Sunnyvale and AT&T HQ this long weekend.

[Update] It gets better. In addition to locking out business customers from flipping their accounts to iPhone, AT&T continues to promote iPhone to the same customers. From an email a few moments ago:

Go to AT&T Wireless "Business Customers" toll-free number (866 429 7222), and listen to the hold message - they're promoting the iPhone!  Promoting iPhones to customers they won't allow to use an iPhone.

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