AT&T Invests More Than $175 Million in Las Vegas Area from 2009 through 2011 to Improve Local Networks
Company Builds New Cell Sites, Boosts Capacity and Adds Fiber Optics to Enhance Networks
Las Vegas, Nevada, February 29, 2012
AT&T* invested more than $175 million in its Las Vegas area wireless and wireline networks from 2009 through 2011 with a focus on improving the company’s mobile broadband coverage and overall performance of its networks.
During 2011, AT&T made nearly 475 wireless network upgrades in four key categories in the Las Vegas area. These enhancements include:
- Activating four new cell sites or towers to improve network coverage.
- Deploying faster fiber-optic connections to nearly 300 cell sites. Combined with HSPA+ technology, these deployments enable 4G speeds***.
- Adding capacity or an extra layer of frequency to cell sites – like adding lanes to a highway – with the addition of nearly 175 of these layers, or “carriers”.
- Upgrading four cell sites to provide fast mobile broadband speeds.
“Our goal is to deliver a network experience that mobilizes everything for customers,” said Tammi Terrell, Las Vegas vice president and general manager, AT&T. “The ongoing investment we’re making in Las Vegas is designed to increase coverage and reliability, and to provide advanced services to our customers. Paired with our recent launch of our 4G LTE network in Las Vegas, customers can use wireless technology to its full potential.”
CNN Money recently recognized AT&T for enhancing its wireless network. Last year, AT&T completed 150,000 network enhancements across the country, more than triple the year before, giving customers more capacity and faster speeds, as well as improving 3G dropped-call performance by 25 percent.
“I applaud AT&T’s continued investment in its wireless network to ensure Las Vegas residents and businesses can communicate and perform at optimal levels.” said Assemblyman William Horne. “These investments fuel our economy, create much needed jobs and keep us connected.”
“Investment in broadband infrastructure is key to our economic health and vitality,” said Kristin McMillan, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. “These enhancements provide leading edge technology that is important when recruiting companies to Nevada and in ensuring that our region remains competitive in attracting and expanding new business opportunities.”
AT&T plans to support the build or upgrade of thousands of cell sites nationwide to increase network speed, coverage and reliability for both mobile voice and broadband services. In addition, AT&T plans to install additional radio “carriers” at thousands of cell sites nationally, enabling new layers of spectrum capacity to carry larger volumes of mobile broadband traffic. Additional capacity helps support rising mobile data traffic volumes, which continue to increase at a rapid pace.
AT&T operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network**** with nearly 30,000 hotspots in the U.S., more than 115 hotspots in the Fresno area and provides access to nearly 190,000 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. In 2011, customers made 1.2 billion AT&T Wi-Fi Connections, with 486.9 million connections in the 4th quarter alone.
For more information about AT&T’s coverage in the Las Vegas 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 of coverage 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.
