AT&T Enhances Houston Mobile Coverage Ahead of NCAA® Men’s Final Four®

Upgrades Boost Wireless Capacity for Customers at the NCAA Men’s Final Four

Fans in Houston for the NCAA Men’s Final Four will get an enhanced AT&T* mobile experience. Our boosted network will support their sharing of once-in-a-lifetime moments with friends and family.

We’ve been working for over a year to expand our mobile Internet coverage. This is part of a continuing investment to support growing demand for wireless devices and services. Permanent and temporary upgrades in Houston will keep our customers connected as soon as they arrive. They can share moments during pre-game festivities and during the NCAA Men’s Final Four.

We have Distributed Antenna System (DAS) at 6 locations serving the NCAA Men’s Final Four and have invested $25 million specifically on DAS upgrades to let fans post and share experiences on social media faster and easier than ever.

“When our customers head out in Houston to cheer on their team, we want them to have a great network experience. That means connection no matter what they’re doing – making a call, checking email, sharing on social media or enjoying DIRECTV right on their mobile device,” said Larry Evans, vice president and general manager, AT&T South Texas. “Many of these enhancements for the tournament are permanent and will continue to benefit customers after. This means a better mobile experience at pro football’s Big Game next year. It’s just one way we’re continuing to invest in our South Texas wireless network.”

AT&T recently upgraded the Distributed Antenna System (DAS) at the stadium, arena and convention center hosting Final Four activities. We added more than 375% LTE capacity to the existing wireless network. This jump in capacity will make it even easier for customers to share exciting moments during Final Four. These upgrades build on 2 years of network prep we’re doing for pro football’s “Big Game” — set for February 2017 in Houston.

What is DAS? A DAS installation consists of strategically placed antennas that distribute AT&T’s wireless network coverage. These antennas manage the wireless capacity in areas where traffic is heavy. This brings better, more consistent wireless coverage to customers in indoor or outdoor spaces.

We’ve also set up a Cell on Wheels (COW) in downtown Houston near the convention center. It will handle expected spikes in demand for the concert series and other events. A COW improves reliability and data speeds during events with large crowds. And we’ve boosted all our cell sites in the Houston area for the event. This will help customers have a better wireless experience—no matter where they are.

AT&T invested more than $1.3 billion in its Houston area wireless and wireline networks from 2013-2015.

For more information about our coverage in Houston or anywhere in the U.S., head here. 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.

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