AT&T Details Cell Site Improvements
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has upgraded 11 cell sites in Tippecanoe and Clinton counties. The company says the investment involves its ongoing 4G LTE mobile Internet network rollout.
March 19, 2014
News Release
Lafayette, Ind. — As part of its continuing network investment and ongoing 4G LTE rollout, AT&T* has upgraded 11 additional mobile Internet cell sites in Tippecanoe and Clinton counties to expand AT&T 4G LTE coverage for area residents, businesses and travelers. Seven of the cell sites stretch along I-65 from north of Lafayette to near Colfax. One is a new cell site AT&T recently activated by the Purdue campus. The remaining three are near West Lafayette in the vicinity of Highway 52 and West 500 North, and in southeast Tippecanoe County by South 700 East and State Road 28.
Additionally, AT&T has enhanced 11 4G LTE cell sites in the Lafayette area by adding new layers of frequency, also known as “carriers,” to more efficiently manage available spectrum and increase mobile Internet capacity. Three of the cell sites are near the Purdue campus with one by the football stadium; two along I-65 between state roads 26 and 38; one on South River Road; one near Union Street; three others on the southside of Lafayette; and one by the town of Shadeland.
“In an information-driven economy, the ability to have access to the latest communications technology is critical,” said State Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Buck Creek). “Investments like this assure that businesses of all sizes can compete effectively in a global economy. I would like to thank AT&T for this investment in our community.”
AT&T has the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network.** AT&T 4G LTE is the latest generation of wireless network technology and provides several benefits for local residents, including faster mobile Internet speeds, improved performance, reliability and innovative new 4G LTE-compatible devices.
AT&T launched its ultra-fast 4G LTE network in Lafayette in April 2012. The new cell sites are one part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to expand 4G LTE coverage and to drive investment and innovation to deliver the nation’s best, most advanced mobile Internet experience for customers. AT&T invested nearly $1.75 billion in its wireless and wired networks in Indiana between 2011 through 2013.
“Our goal is for our customers to have an extraordinary experience, and they’ll be able to download, upload, stream and game faster than ever before on our 4G LTE network,” said Bill Soards, president of AT&T Indiana. “As part of the Tippecanoe and Clinton County communities, we’re always looking for new opportunities to provide enhanced coverage, and our investment in the local wireless network is another way we're accomplishing that.”
AT&T's 4G Network
This upgrade is part of AT&T's Project Velocity IP (VIP), a three-year investment plan announced in Fall 2012 to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks. Through this investment, AT&T is supporting its customers’ growing desire for high-speed Internet access and new mobile, app and cloud-based services. As part of Project VIP, AT&T plans to add cell sites nationwide by year-end 2015, as well as deploy small cells and add Distributed Antenna Systems to increase the density of its wireless network.
AT&T's innovation and investment have resulted in a nationwide network, with ultra-fast speeds and a consistent user experience. The great performance of AT&T's most reliable 4G LTE network continues to be validated by independent third-party testing:
• Our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive’s most recent 20-market speed tests — the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked first overall. PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T’s as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.***
• And AT&T was named America’s fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine’s 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study — and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.****
AT&T’s focus to deliver the best possible mobile Internet experience goes beyond 4G to embrace additional connection technologies. AT&T operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network***** including more than 32,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers and provides access to more than 461,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn’t count against customers’ monthly wireless data plans.
AT&T also is a leading developer of Distributed Antenna Systems, which utilize multiple small antennas to maximize coverage and speed within stadiums, convention centers, office buildings, hotels and other areas where traditional coverage methods are challenging.
Over the past six years (2008 to 2013), AT&T invested more than $140 billion into its wireless and wireline networks, when you combine capital and spectrum acquisitions. Since 2008, AT&T has invested more capital into the U.S. economy than any other public company. In a September 2013 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. “Investment Heroes.”
Source: AT&T Inc.