AT&T*, building on its strong 2010 record of network accomplishments, today announced a series of network improvements planned for this year in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The planned upgrades are part of AT&T’s 2011 initiative to deliver the nation’s most advanced mobile broadband service.
Marshall Criser, lll, president of AT&T Florida, says AT&T plans to continue its commitment to delivering superior service to Miami-Fort Lauderdale customers in 2011 by making the following upgrades:
- Deploying upgraded backhaul connections to more than 100 cell sites. Combined with HSPA+ technology, these backhaul deployments will enable 4G speeds for local customers.
- Delivering additional mobile broadband capacity to approximately 320 cell sites in the area through the addition of new layers of frequency, also known as “carriers.” Adding extra capacity to a cell site is like widening a highway - you’re creating more lanes to accommodate increasing traffic.
- Installing distributed antenna systems (DAS) in high-traffic areas and facilities, such as event and sporting venues, including Sun Life Stadium. The distributed antenna systems provide improved wireless coverage for customers in indoor or outdoor spaces where geographical limitations might otherwise prevent an optimal wireless experience.
- Activating 13 new cell sites to improve network coverage and reliability
“The nation’s fastest mobile broadband network is getting even faster with 4G**,” Criser said. “We’re continuing to deploy enhanced backhaul connections at existing cell sites locally and nationwide to allow for 4G speeds.”
AT&T’s 2011 network plans build upon the improvements it made in 2010 to strengthen the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area mobile broadband network. The 2010 upgrades included:
- Adding extra mobile broadband capacity to more than 260 cell sites
- Adding upgraded backhaul connections to more than 100 sites
- Activating 10 new cell sites
- Upgrading three sites to mobile broadband
- Deploying six new Radio Network Controllers to increase capacity for mobile broadband growth
- Installing distributed antenna systems at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens and at several Fort Lauderdale hotels.
“We invested more than $630 million in our Miami-Fort Lauderdale wireless and wireline networks from 2008 through 2010, helping AT&T customers take advantage of the numerous capabilities on their wireless devices,” Criser added. “Our continued investment and efforts are resulting in a stronger, better performing mobile broadband experience for our local customers.”
AT&T’s mobile broadband network provides customers with the ability to talk and surf at the same time; it’s also up to 35 percent faster than the largest competitor’s CDMA 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 phones work in less than 40 countries. Business Traveler magazine also recently named AT&T as having the “Best Mobile Coverage in the World” – the fourth time AT&T has received the distinction.
“Consumers who want the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network and the best selection of wireless devices will go with AT&T,” said Carlos Blanco, vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets for South Florida. “We’re working hard to provide our customers with best-in-class service, and our ongoing investment in the local wireless network is one way to accomplish this.”
Elaine Adler, president of the Aventura Marketing Council, said AT&T’s significant investment to improve its network will further bolster Miami’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 and creates jobs at all levels,” Adler 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 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
AT&T also operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network*** with more than 24,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to more than 125,000 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 South Florida 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.
