Deployment of 850 Mhz Spectrum for 3G Service in Charm City Substantially Improves In-Building Wireless Coverage, Adds Capacity to Support Surging Demand for Mobile Broadband.
AT&T* announced a substantial upgrade of its 3G mobile broadband network in Greater Baltimore, including surrounding areas along the I-695 Beltway, including Pikesville, Towson, and Parksville, as well as popular downtown spots like Fells Point and the Inner Harbor. With the deployment of additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band, AT&T wireless customers should experience better 3G connectivity and performance and enhanced in-building wireless coverage. The enhancement also increases the network’s capacity, keeping pace with Baltimore’s growing demand for 3G mobile broadband service.
The high-quality 850 MHz spectrum generally results in better in-building coverage. While the specific benefits of the additional spectrum will vary by location, AT&T’s 3G customers should see improved quality and coverage throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. AT&T technicians nationwide who monitor network performance for service quality and coverage have seen significant increases in total 3G data traffic in areas where the 850MHz spectrum has been deployed.
“Our goal is pretty simple: we want you to have an extraordinary experience when you make a call, check e-mail, download a song or video, or surf the Internet on your AT&T device,” said J. Michael Schweder, AT&T Mid-Atlantic Region president. “It is what our customers want and our ongoing investments to enable customers to quickly access the content that matters most to them also helps to create jobs and fuel economic growth in Maryland.”
The 850 MHz network enhancement is one part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation by investing to deliver the benefits of smartphones and mobile broadband for customers. More smartphone customers have chosen AT&T over any U.S. competitor, resulting in wireless traffic on the AT&T network that has quadrupled over the past year. This growth includes a volume of smartphone data traffic over the AT&T network that is unmatched in the wireless industry.
“More than ever before, our customers look to wireless communications to stay in touch with family, friends, and business colleagues,” said Rob Forsyth, vice president and general manager for AT&T in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia. “This investment, which builds upon our $500 million in capital expenditures in Maryland in from 2006 to 2008 , helps to enhance the 3G network and is just another way we are continuing to deliver a first-class wireless voice and data experience for Baltimore area customers.”
This investment builds on AT&T’s recent 3G wireless network expansions to Frederick, Hagerstown and the Eastern Shore, as well as 25 new Maryland cell sites. To date, AT&T’s 3G network – the nation’s fastest – covers over 95 percent of the Free State’s population.
AT&T recently also announced plans to further upgrade its 3G network nationwide with High Speed Packet Access 7.2 technology to deliver considerably faster mobile broadband speeds. Those upgrades are planned to begin later this year and to be completed in 2011. Additionally, to support this increasing volume of mobile data traffic, AT&T is planning to add this year nearly 1,900 cell sites new backhaul connections across the country.
AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network is based upon the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies, which includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T’s 3G network is available in more than 350 major metropolitan areas. AT&T also offers 3G data roaming in more than 100 countries, as well as voice calling in more than 215 countries.
More information about AT&T’s 3G coverage at any location in Maryland or anywhere in the United States may be found at http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/, which indicates the quality of coverage based upon 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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