AT&T Continuing Investment in Akron Area Network
Building on Initial Investment of $120 million in Akron Data Center in 2010
AKRON, Ohio, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T*, building on its strong network accomplishments and local investment, today announced network improvements designed to enable 4G speeds** and enhanced reliability to the greater Akron area in 2011. The wireless network enhancement plans are part of AT&T's planned $19-billion investment in its wireless and wireline networks and other capital projects in 2011.
AT&T is also working to complete the second phase of construction for its mobility data center in Akron, which provides core network services for handling wireless data operations. The data center expansion will include adding more wireless technology to support the growing needs of the region. This follows last year's announcement of AT&T's $120 million initial investment in the innovative center to retrofit the facility and build phase one of the data center.
AT&T plans the following network improvements in greater Akron in 2011:
- Deploying enhanced backhaul connections to cell sites to enable 4G speeds and add capacity to support more mobile traffic
- Installing new cell sites to improve network coverage
- Adding spectrum carriers to cell sites to support more traffic
AT&T invested more than $75 million in its greater Akron wireless and wireline network from 2008 through 2010 as part of its commitment to superior service in the area. In 2010, AT&T's wireless network expansion in greater Akron included:
- Installing new cell sites and upgrading 41 cell sites to mobile broadband
- Adding spectrum carriers to 90 cell sites
"We need Ohio to be open for business, and AT&T's investment in the greater Akron area to improve its wireless network will boost our efforts to improve the economy," said Rep. Bill Batchelder, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. "We work to promote public policies that will continue to drive investments in innovation, economic development and job creation."
AT&T's 2011 national investment will also support the build and upgrade of thousands of cell sites nationwide designed to increase network speed, coverage and reliability for both mobile voice and broadband services. AT&T also plans to install additional radio "carriers" at more than 30,000 cell sites nationally this year, enabling new layers of spectrum capacity to carry larger volumes of mobile broadband traffic. This additional capacity enables AT&T to support rising mobile data traffic volumes, which have increased more than 8,000 percent over the past four years.
"Our story is getting even better for the greater Akron region and Ohio," said Tom Pelto, president, AT&T Ohio. "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 more than 97 percent."
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 cell sites in the greater Akron area 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 greater Akron network to help AT&T customers take advantage of the numerous capabilities of their wireless devices," said Larry Evans, vice president and general manager of AT&T Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. "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 Akron site becomes AT&T's ninth mobility data center, which will serve customers across multiple markets, states and regions. All wireless data traffic travels through one or more data centers across the country. These centers support features such as visual voicemail, text messaging, multimedia messaging, mobile video and other wireless applications.
"AT&T's continued investment in wireless infrastructure and technology will drive innovation, job creation and commerce in the greater Akron region," said Dan Colantone, the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce President and CEO.
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&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.
For more information about AT&T's coverage in Akron or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure coverage quality from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.
For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device. Learn more at att.com/network. Actual speeds experienced will vary and depend on several factors, including device, location, capacity, facilities, and other conditions.
*** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
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