AT&T is planning to find ways to convince heavy iPhone users to stop using so much data (despite paying for unlimited plans), as a way to ameliorate the perpetually clogged 3G networks in San Francisco and New York, according to AT&T executive Ralph de la Vega.

Speaking at the UBS conference in New York Wednesday, de la Vega said that heavy video and music listeners were bandwidth hogs, and some 3 percent of smartphones were using 40 percent of its network capacity, according to Reuters.

He suggested the company would find ways to persuade heavy users to reduce their activity and that caps on data usage could be imminent.

Epicenter has two alternative suggestions: Stop selling iPhones in San Francisco and New York, and shut down the Major League Baseball app, which streams live baseball games to users' phones.

The first piece of advice is just a no-brainer. If you can't handle the network traffic, stop selling a device that comes with a promise of unlimited 3G data service.

The second one is pretty straightforward as well. The cellphone industry likes to say that heavy usage from more than a single user at the same time on the same tower can block others from even using their cellphones to make calls or send text messages.

That's the reason Apple and AT&T put up roadblocks for apps like Slingbox's that stream video from your home cable setup to your phone.

But the MLB At Bat 2009 app, which is pushed by Apple and was even featured by Steve Jobs at an Apple event, is even worse.

It streams games live. That means as soon as the San Francisco Giants or the New York Yankees start playing, iPhone users with that app can start watching the game over AT&T's precious, overloaded 3G network. All at the same time. (Update: As commenters note, the app uses GPS to enforce MLB's Byzantine blackout rules for local markets, but the point remains that fans stream games (away games and playoffs) in ways that strain a network more than asynchronous video apps do)

Oddly, this isn't considered a hazard to the network. It's a featured app that costs $10 for the now-finished 2009 season.

There's little chance AT&T will ban the app come spring training time, but if the company really worried about its network, it would bench MLB indefinitely.

Oh, and AT&T could also try rolling out network upgrades to better use the spectrum they already own, steeply discount its femtocells (essentially a home or office cell tower) or put up more towers too.

But I guess it's easier to be defensive and blame your network woes on customers to whom you sold unlimited plans.

UPDATE: AT&T wrote in to say that it's doing more than complaining and that it has been working hard in San Francisco in particular, and that things are getting better there. And the company says it is spending close to $20 billion in 2009 on building out its network.

o We are nearly doubling the wireless spectrum serving 3G customers in hundreds of markets across the country, using high-quality 850 MHz spectrum. This additional spectrum expands overall network capacity and improves in-building reception.

o We are adding about 2,000 new cell sites, expanding service to new cities and improving coverage in other areas.

o We’re adding about 100,000 new backhaul connections, which add critical capacity between cell sites and the global IP backbone network. We're doubling the number of fiber-served cell sites this year.

o We’re enabling widespread access to our Wi-Fi network – the largest in the country with more than 20,000 hotspots in all 50 states – allowing them to take advantage of the best available AT&T mobile broadband connection.

o We’re rolling out even faster 3G speeds with deployment of HSPA 7.2 technology, with availability in six markets planned by the end of the year.

o We are preparing for field trials of next generation, LTE wireless networks next year, with deployment planning to begin in 2011. This schedule aligns with industry expectations for when a wide variety of compatible 4G wireless devices should be available.

The proof, of course, will be in your hand. Let us know in the comments how AT&T's coverage is working for you.

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