Looks like AT&T has found a way to "solve" the bandwidth problems they have with iPhone users - just stop selling the device in places where they don't have enough towers for the demand. You have to love this exchange between The Consumerist (posing as a prospective customer) and AT&T:

Prospect: Hi, I was looking at the iPhone 3Gs and the system tells me that I cannot order one in my ZIP code. My zip code is 11231. (Brooklyn, NY) Is this true? Are iPhones no longer available in New York City?

AT&T: I am happy to be helping you today . Yes, this is correct the phone is not offered to you because New York is not ready for the iPhone.

Awesome. Now, New Yorkers can still buy the phone from Apple stores in NYC, so something seems odd here. MediaMemo was reporting that AT&T claimed that there was "fraudulent activity" afoot:

The wireless carrier, at least for now, won't sell New Yorkers a new phone online, citing "increased fraudulent activity."

Which also comes across as strange - what kind of fraud woud hit online sales coming only from a small number of zipcodes? More pressing by MediaMemo yielded this:

"We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels," says AT&T pr guy Fletcher Cook, via email.

My guess? The marketing gnomes at AT&T botched a website update for promotions before the holiday, and now there's no one around to fix the problem - so instead, New Yorkers get one absurd story after another. Wouldn't it be simpler to just say "yeah, we blew a website update; it will be fixed real soon now"?

Technorati Tags: iPhone, bandwidth