AT&T* announced that it invested nearly $40 million from 2008 through 2009 to complete a local initiative to increase the wireless capacity of its third generation (3G) mobile broadband network throughout the Chicago area. As a result of deploying additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band, local customers are expected to experience improved 3G wireless voice and data connectivity and performance, especially during peak hours.
The network enhancement includes the addition of new layers of frequency, also known as “carriers,” to more efficiently manage available spectrum and increase 3G capacity at local cell sites. The result is an increased allocation of network resources for AT&T’s 3G network to support ever-growing demand for mobile broadband services.
More than 700 cell towers across the Chicagoland area were updated as part of the spectrum deployment. In addition, more than 40 strategically placed distributed antennas and microcell sites were upgraded to the 850 MHz spectrum in the downtown Chicago Loop to provide additional coverage.
“Beyond adding 850 MHz spectrum to more than 700 cell sites across Chicagoland, we’ve added a Distributed Antenna System in the Loop, which is made up of about 40 pole- or building-mounted microsites and antennae that are better suited to accommodate the city’s cavernous landscape,” said Dave Fine, vice president and general manager for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets in Illinois. “Coupled with the 850 MHz spectrum that can better penetrate buildings and you can see that we’re actively enhancing our network to provide our customers with the best possible experience.”
Wireless data traffic on the AT&T network has grown more than 5,000 percent over the past three years, largely attributed to the increasing popularity of advanced smartphones and the performance of AT&T’s 3G network, the nation’s fastest.
AT&T recently completed a software upgrade at 3G cell sites nationwide that prepares the nation’s fastest 3G network for even faster speeds. The deployment of High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology is the first of multiple initiatives in AT&T’s network enhancement strategy designed to provide customers with an enhanced mobile broadband experience, both today and well into the future. Faster 3G speeds are scheduled to become available this year and in 2011 on a market by market basis as AT&T combines the new technology with the increased deployment of high-speed backhaul connections to cell sites, primarily with fiber-optic technology.
AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, delivering voice service in over 220 countries and data service in more than 190 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on 130 major cruise ships, as well as 3G services in 115 countries.
For more information about AT&T’s 3G coverage in Illinois or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer. The online tool can measure the quality of coverage based on a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.
For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit www.att.com/networknews.
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