Given AT&T's 3G network woes and various comments made by other top execs at AT&T and Verizon Wireless, you know it is only a matter of time before metered pricing based on data usage becomes a reality.

AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson confirmed as much, stating that he backs metered pricing plans to protect his company's network. However, when that might happen remains a mystery.

Speaking of data usage, he predicts that the iPad will not have a significant impact on AT&Ts network because most people will forgo a wireless plan and stick with Wi-Fi. 

Stephenson also told investors at a recent Morgan Stanley conference in San Fransicso that the iPhone will remain a key product for AT&T "for quite some time." Naturally, this will lead some to believe that the rumors surrounding the fast-approaching end of AT&T's exclusivity deal with Apple are not as dire as one might suspect.

Finally, despite a hard push this year from Verizon Wireless with next generation LTE networks, Stepenson claims that AT&T is in no hurry to get its own 4G network up and running. He believes that the current network will be capable of handling traffic for the next few years. So far, AT&T only has trials for LTE planned this year with a roll out beginning in 2011.