Art of the iPhone

AT&T has responded to Operation Chokehold, a protest proposed by blogger Fake Steve Jobs to overwhelm AT&T’s data network this Friday by having all iPhone owners use data heavy apps at the same time.

In response, AT&T told blog Cult of the Mac:

We understand that fakesteve.net is primarily a satirical forum, but there is nothing amusing about advocating that customers attempt to deliberately degrade service on a network that provides critical communications services for more than 80 million customers. We know that the vast majority of customers will see this action for what it is: an irresponsible and pointless scheme to draw attention to a blog.

Fake Steve’s call to action was in response to comments made by AT&T Mobility executive Ralph de la Vega, who told the Wall Street Journal that AT&T planned to use “incentives” to get heavy data users to stop using so much data. AT&T currently charges $30 for an unlimited data plan on top of the cost of voice plans, which start at $40.

Fake Steve’s original call for protest:

On Friday, December 18, at noon Pacific time, we will attempt to overwhelm the AT&T data network and bring it to its knees. The goal is to have every iPhone user (or as many as we can) turn on a data intensive app and run that app for one solid hour. Send the message to AT&T that we are sick of their substandard network and sick of their abusive comments. THe idea is we’ll create a digital flash mob. We’re calling it in Operation Chokehold. Join us and speak truth to power!