I am in the middle of a blogger’s nightmare! For the last two days, after a terrible night-storm, I am without electricity and without an Internet connection. Rule #1 for a blogger is to create content on a regular basis, preferably daily, and that is not possible without a fully functional connection. The solution to my technological dilemma is to write my posts using a word-processor and upload them to my website the next day at a place providing free wireless access. McDonald’s, the local coffee shop, or Panera, everything will do.

Checking my e-mails is not quite a dilemma, because I have an iPhone and its inevitable connection provider, AT&T. A wireless connection will ease the pain, right?

Well, think again! If you own your iPhone, you know all about the shortcomings of the AT&T nationwide network. As they say, the iPhone is a great computer, but a lousy phone. Try calling somebody, let’s say your spouse, who is sitting only a few feet away from you on the other side of the table in this fabulous Italian restaurant. Chances are your call doesn’t go through, and your message ends up in your spouse’s voice mailbox.

I know, you shouldn’t use your cell phone when being on a date with your spouse, but my point is about the short physical distance that one of the most sophisticated devices in the marketplace is unable to bridge.

Checking e-mails with an iPhone is a hassle as well. It takes forever before the phone is able to check your e-mailbox, not due to lack of effective hardware, but an extremely ineffective AT&T network.

But all iPhone owners are aware of AT&T’s shortcomings, so why am I writing about it after many other bloggers have already done so?

The answer is, today, after more than 3,000 people in the neighborhood are still without power after two days, I tried yet again to check my e-mails per my iPhone. I am used to the slow connection, but today I was unable to receive any e-mail due to a missing signal!

Apparently, the local power outage had also an impact on the AT&T network. Maybe one of their towers was without power, too. A weak signal is no surprise when you deal with AT&T, but no signal at all is unusual.

I mean, this is the freaking year 2010. We still don’t have flying cars as envisioned in the technological magazines of the 1960’s, but more than 40 years after bringing a man to the moon and safely back to earth, we still are unable to maintain a reliable wireless nationwide network (the same is true for the ultra-fast Comcast connection; what good is the speed when you can’t reach the Internet?).

AT&T’s answer to every iPhone-owner’s dilemma is the release of TV commercials assuring that their network is not as bad as others (think Verizon) are trying to make it. After all, AT&T reaches 97% of all Americans.

I am not challenging their 97%-claim, but I dare to theorize that AT&T is responsible for 99% of all voice mails due to lack of connection power. The call just doesn’t go through!