TightWind is written by Kyle Baxter. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Peter Cohen thinks Apple chose correctly when they went with AT&T when they launched the iPhone:

Looking at it in hindsight, Apple’s strategy was sound. Verizon’s 3G network utilizes CDMA technology. EDGE and GSM technology used by AT&T was compatible with the cellular networks that operate throughout Europe and elsewhere.

At the time the iPhone was unveiled, Steve Jobs called it a “world phone” and said that it would operate in “80 percent of the world.” Apple was motivated to create a product that would work for as many potential customers as it could.

Exactly right. Focusing on building a GSM phone first meant they could expand throughout the world very quickly with minimal effort. If they chose Verizon as their launch partner, they would have needed to learn both how to build GSM and CDMA phones. Not easy for a company that has never built a phone before.