AT&T Network Enhancements Deliver Outstanding Performance for Chicago

Blazing speeds.  Great reliability.  Broad coverage.  Excellent overall performance.  That’s what Chicago residents want from their mobile Internet, and it’s exactly what AT&T* is delivering with an array of local wireless and wireline network upgrades completed in the first half of 2013.

As part of its nearly $625 million investment in its Illinois wireless and wired networks so far this year, AT&T has completed several key network projects in Chicago.  These projects, which are part of the company’s Project Velocity IP (VIP), a three-year investment plan announced last fall to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks, build on the nearly $2.6 billion AT&T has invested in its wireless and wired networks in Chicago from 2010 through 2012.

This continued commitment to network enhancement and expansion has led to outstanding network performance for AT&T customers in Chicago.

• The AT&T wireless network recently ranked tied for 1st in Chicago by RootMetrics®, an independent research and testing organization. AT&T was tied as the RootMetrics RootScore® Combined Award winner for its overall wireless network performance, including call, text and data performance.**
• Our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive’s most recent speed tests in Chicago. PCWorld/TechHivealso ranked AT&T’s as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.***
• AT&T was named Chicago’s fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine’s 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study.  AT&T swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.****

And AT&T now has the most reliable 4G LTE network.  According to independent third-party data, AT&T has the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks.*****

AT&T’s Project VIP is paying early dividends for Chicago.  In just the first six months of 2013, more than 5,900 additional business customer locations in Chicago – located in nearly 120 multi-tenant office buildings across the metro area – now have access to blazing-fast, reliable connections to Internet and cloud-based resources, which ride on the fiber network.

As part of Project VIP, AT&T also deployed wireline IP broadband for consumers, including AT&T U-verse® services for more than 27,650 customer locations in Chicago, in just the first six months of 2013. AT&T U-verse is an integrated bundle of services delivered over AT&T’s advanced IP network that includes AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet, AT&T U-verse TV and AT&T U-verse Voice. AT&T offers customers the freedom to watch hit TV shows virtually anywhere, extensive HD channels, competitive Internet speeds, flexible bundles and continued service innovation. AT&T was recently named Frost & Sullivan Video Company of the Year.

“Fast, reliable connectivity is essential to both quality of life and competitiveness at work,” said AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza.  “No one understands that better than we do, and no one is doing more than AT&T to mobilize a world that works for people in Chicago.  With initiatives like Project Velocity IP, we’re working to ensure that Chicago consumers and businesses remain at the leading edge of broadband services.”

Across Chicago and Illinois, AT&T’s 2013 investments have resulted in expansion and enhancement of our 4G LTE network, which provides ultra-fast speeds.  AT&T 4G LTE is now available in Chicago as well as Carbondale-Marion, Quad Cities and Sterling.  Nationwide, more than 225 million Americans have access to AT&T 4G LTE service.  By year-end 2013, AT&T expects to cover nearly 270 million people and 400 markets with its 4G LTE network.

For more information about AT&T’s coverage in Chicago or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer.  For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.