AT&T CFO Rick Lindner told the WSJ that the company is holding back its U-Verse rollout because of problems with Microsoft’s IPTV middleware but tempered that a bit by calling it “normal new-product development.” He said AT&T plans to pass eight million homes by the end of 2007: “We’re adding customers slowly, watching the platform and trying to train our technicians and improve installations.” As the Journal points out, in the past, AT&T has ascribed to enhancements to software and billing systems but Lindner was more direct this time about the role played by Microsoft. The Journal did not, however , get more specific about the actual issues involved. A Microsoft spokesman told the Journal: “We believe the biggest challenges are behind us.”
Related:
-- AT&T U-Verse Rollout Maintains Slow Pace, Limited Access
-- Earnings: Added Internet, Wireless Subs Help AT&T 4Q Profit Climb 17 Percent