Building on its strong 2010 record of network accomplishments, AT&T* today announced network improvement plans designed to enable 4G speeds** and enhanced reliability to Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast in 2011. The wireless network enhancement plans are part of AT&T's planned $19-billion investment in its nationwide wireless and wireline networks and other capital projects in 2011.

AT&T Florida President Marshall Criser, lll, says AT&T plans the following network improvements for Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast in 2011:
Deploying enhanced backhaul connections to more than 90 cell sites to enable 4G speeds and add capacity to support more mobile traffic, like adding traffic lanes to a highwayAdding spectrum carriers – more capacity – to more than 120 cell sites to support more voice and data trafficInstalling seven new cell sites to improve network coverage

"Our story is getting even better for Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast," Criser said. "Our recently announced agreement to acquire T-Mobile USA represents a great deal for customers and a major commitment to strengthen and expand our network. In fact, this deal, if approved, means that we'll be able to expand the next generation of mobile broadband – 4G LTE – from our current plan of 80 percent of the U.S. population to 95 percent."

The T-Mobile acquisition provides a fast, efficient and certain solution to the impending wireless exhaust situation facing both companies while adding cell towers.  Additional towers mean additional capacity which means fewer dropped calls. "We'll be able to provide better voice quality and data performance to our customers," added Criser.

AT&T invested more than $300 million in its Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast wireless and wireline networks from 2008 through 2010 as part of its commitment to superior service in the area. Last year's upgrades included:

Adding spectrum carriers to more than 90 cell sitesDeploying enhanced backhaul connections to more than 25 cell sitesInstalling six new cell sitesDeploying a DAS network at a southern Palm Beach County beach club

The nation's fastest mobile broadband network is getting faster with 4G. A key planned upgrade for 2011 is deployment of enhanced backhaul connections to more than 90 cell sites in Palm Beach County to enable 4G speeds. Backhaul connections carry traffic between cell sites and AT&T's nationwide network.  Enhanced fiber-optic and ethernet backhaul connections expand capacity many times over, and enable additional expansion in the years to come.

"We're investing in our local network to help AT&T customers take advantage of the numerous capabilities of their wireless devices," Criser said. "This year, we're committed to providing best-in-class wireless voice service to our customers, and we're backing that up with the right investments."

The investments made in the Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast wireless and wireline networks are part of the more than $2.8 billion AT&T invested from 2008 through 2010 across Florida.

AT&T's advanced network provides several important advantages for customers.  Unlike some competitors, AT&T's mobile broadband network provides customers with the ability to talk and surf at the same time. For instance, you can look up directions to an event while staying on the phone with your boss, or browse your favorite social media sites while chatting with a friend.  AT&T's mobile broadband network also is up to 35 percent faster than our largest competitor's CDMA-based network on average nationally.

AT&T also provides access to voice service in more than 220 countries and data service in more than 200 countries.  AT&T's largest competitor's CDMA-based devices work in fewer than 45 countries.  Business Traveler magazine recently named AT&T as having the "Best Mobile Coverage in the World" – the fourth time AT&T has received the distinction.

"AT&T is consistently among the top companies in the U.S. in terms of our capital investment and we're committed to helping our customers right here in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast take advantage of the numerous capabilities of their wireless devices," said Carlos Blanco, vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets for South Florida.

Ed Chase, president and CEO of the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, said AT&T's significant investment to improve its network will further bolster Palm Beach County's reputation as a great place to live and work.

"High-tech expansions like this one help our business community, our local economy and our overall quality of life," Chase said. "Few businesses today are more competitive than the wireless industry. That level of competition results in investment and new technology, which delivers benefits to the entire community."
AT&T's focus is delivering the nation's most advanced mobile broadband experience, which includes delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and applications. With the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience.  At the same time, AT&T offers a wide-ranging portfolio of smartphones and devices, with 20 4G devices planned for 2011, including a robust Android lineup.  And we're driving development of wide-ranging mobile applications with three AT&T Foundry collaborative innovation centers planned for this year, as well as leadership in multiple initiatives to provide new tools for apps developers.

AT&T's mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the world.
AT&T also operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network*** with more than 24,000 hotspots in the U.S. and access to more than 135,000 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 data plans.

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