New Distributed Antenna System, Which is Part of AT&T’s Ongoing Project VIP Investment Plan, Provides Additional Wireless Capacity for Customers
Daytona Beach, Florida, February 27, 2014
As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced wireless devices and services, AT&T* has expanded its mobile Internet coverage at the Daytona International Speedway by completing the installation of a new Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to enhance the customer experience throughout the facility.
A DAS installation consists of multiple strategically-placed antennas that distribute AT&T’s wireless network coverage throughout the speedway, providing for more efficient management of wireless capacity in heavily-trafficked areas. DAS has the ability to provide enhanced, consistent wireless coverage to customers in indoor or outdoor spaces where geographical limitations – terrain, building construction, etc. – or crowd density might otherwise prevent an optimal wireless experience.
A downpour in rain equaled a downpour in data as well as fans took advantage of the upgraded wireless capacity at the Daytona International Speedway during the Big Race in Daytona this past weekend. At the race, AT&T mobile customers on the indoor and outdoor DAS used approximately 850 GB of data from 12pm to 12am EST.** This is equivalent to approximately 2,700 hours of streaming HD video. The busiest hour was during the rain delay from 2-3pm EST when more than 190 GB crossed our network. This is equivalent to 620 hours to of streaming HD video. In addition, more than 100,000 phone calls and more than 200,000 text messages were sent during the event.
The DAS at the Daytona International Speedway is part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP (VIP), a multi-year plan to invest for growth, announced in 2012. Through this investment, AT&T is supporting its customers’ growing desire for high-quality, fast wireless and wired services. As part of Project VIP, AT&T is deploying small cell technology, macro cells and additional DAS, which will increase the density of our wireless network. The wireless network densification will further improve network quality and increase spectrum efficiency.
“We want our customers to have a great network experience wherever they are, no matter what they’re doing – whether that’s making a call, checking email, downloading apps or surfing the Internet,” said AT&T Florida President Joe York. “With initiatives like Project VIP, we’re continuing our investment in the wireless network, and providing enhanced wireless coverage at the Daytona International Speedway is just one way that we’re investing in the Daytona area”
DAS technology helps improve the mobile Internet experience by shortening the distance a request must travel. The additional capacity also is expected to help improve call reliability, boost data traffic capacity and enable more consistent network access to help customers make the most of their AT&T devices.
Our 4G LTE network is bigger than T-Mobile’s, faster than Verizon’s, and the most reliable in the nation. *** And the great performance of AT&T’s 4G LTE network continues to be validated by independent third-party testing.
- 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 20-market speed tests – the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked 1st overall. PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T’s as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.****
- And AT&T was named America’s fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine’s 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.*****
Across Daytona Beach and Florida, 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 available in Daytona Beach as well as Palm Coast, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Orlando, Jacksonville, Palatka, Melbourne-Titusville, Sarasota-Bradenton, Tampa-St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach and Miami . Our 4G LTE deployment is ahead of schedule, covering more than 280 million people. We expect to be substantially complete with our 4G LTE deployment by summer 2014.
AT&T’s focus to deliver the best possible mobile Internet experience goes beyond 4G to embrace additional connection technologies. AT&T operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network****** including more than 32,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers, and provides access to more than 529,000 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 invested more than $3.2 billion in its Florida wireless and wireline networks from 2010 through the first half of 2013. Over the past six years, AT&T has invested more capital into the U.S. economy than any other public company. In a September 2013 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. “Investment Heroes.”
For more information about AT&T’s coverage in Florida 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.
*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.
** Metrics provided are from the entire duration of the event, including the 6-hour rain delay
*** Claims Basis: Speed – national carriers’ average speeds; Reliability – data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G LTE not available everywhere.
**** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, “AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo”
***** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp
****** A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.
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 internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE 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 service with the AT&T U-verse® brand. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.
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/aboutus or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.
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4G LTE speed claim based on national carriers’ average 4G LTE download speeds. Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. 4G LTE availability varies.
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