Company Expands Wireless Network Capacity, Makes Wi-Fi Available for Customers
Concord, North Carolina, May 24, 2012
As thousands of people converge on Concord for the Coca Cola 600 Race Week, AT&T is boosting network capacity to help its customers have a great wireless experience.
The company has deployed a temporary cell on wheels, or COW, to accommodate expected increased wireless network demands from high concentrations of smartphone users at events leading up to the race and on race day. The augmentations will help improve reliability and data speeds as the event runs through Sunday.
“Events like the Coca Cola 600 generate memorable experiences that our customers will want to share with friends and family through text messages, photos, status updates on social networks and calls from their mobile devices,” said Laurent Therivel, AT&T’s VPGM of Mobility and Consumer Markets in the Carolinas. “We’ve deployed a team of network engineers that’s hard at work on local enhancements to help provide great connectivity, solid coverage and fast speeds.”
The temporary enhancements are part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to prepare for and provide the best possible mobile experience during special events like the Coca Cola 600. With crowds expected to reach tens of thousands of attendees, AT&T’s network team has deployed a COW to support the crowd’s mobile Internet needs.
AT&T launched its ultra-fast 4G LTE network in nearby Charlotte in November 2011, providing mobile Internet speeds faster than 3G. From 2008 through 2011, AT&T invested more than $1.8 billion in its North Carolina wireless and wireline networks.
AT&T’s mobile data 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 has the broadest international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to voice service in more than 225 countries and data service in more than 200 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on more than 135 major cruise ships, as well as mobile Internet services in more than 130 countries.
AT&T also operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network** with nearly 30,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to nearly 225,000 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.
*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.
**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.
Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. 4G speeds delivered by LTE, or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, where available. Deployment ongoing. Compatible device and data plan required. Up to 10x claim compares 4G LTE download speeds to industry average 3G download speeds. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more at att.com/network.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T, news, filings) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. 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 largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, 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 @ATT.
© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. 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.
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