Switch Carriers or Upgrade to 3G
The first iPhone ran on 2G wireless, and if you weren’t there in the Beforetimes – well, it was incredibly slow, and far less reliable before 3G finally came along and gave us reasonable cellular service. You also couldn’t pick your carrier at first, either: The 1st-gen iPhone was supported by AT&T, with no other choices. In fact, Apple exclusively partnered with AT&T for the first years of its iPhone line before finally expanding to other options.