March 16,
2010 JOHNSON CITY, TN - As
part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand
for advanced mobile devices and applications, AT&T today announced
the activation of a new 3G cell site in Washington County that will
enhance coverage for area residents and businesses. The new cell
site is located five miles north of Johnson City near Kingsport
Highway between Johnson City and Gray and also boosts coverage along
Highway 36 and Carroll Creek Road. With 3G speeds, AT&T customers
can surf the Web, download files faster, and enjoy the very latest
interactive mobile applications.
AT&T recently unveiled its Tennessee wireless
network plans for 2010, which include the addition of 20 new cell
sites and the upgrade of approximately 525 additional cell sites
to 3G throughout the state.
"We welcome these efforts to expand the communications
infrastructure in our region," said Rep. Mathew Hill. "New
cell tower investments enhance our business environment and work
to further our goal of creating more and better jobs for this community."
The new cell site is one part of AT&T's ongoing
efforts to drive innovation and extend its 3G wireless network -
the fastest in the nation, according to independent testing. It
is also part of AT&T's ongoing investment to build the broadband
networks that will fuel economic growth and create jobs, and enable
its customers to quickly access the content, applications and services
that matter most to them.
"Our goal is pretty simple: we want you to
have an extraordinary experience when you make a call, check e-mail,
download a song or video, or surf the Internet on your AT&T
device," said Gregg Morton, president, AT&T Tennessee.
"As part of the Johnson City community, we're always looking
for new opportunities to provide enhanced coverage and our investment
in the local wireless network is just one way to accomplish this."
AT&T recently completed a software upgrade
at 3G cell sites nationwide that prepares the nation's fastest 3G
network for even faster speeds. The deployment of High-Speed-Packet
Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology is the first of multiple initiatives
in AT&T's network enhancement strategy designed to provide customers
with an enhanced broadband experience, both today and well into
the future. Faster 3G speeds are scheduled to become available in
2010 and 2011 on a market by market basis as AT&T combines the
new technology with our second initiative to dramatically increase
the number of high-speed backhaul connections to cell sites, primarily
with fiber-optic connections, adding capacity from cell sites to
the AT&T backbone network.
"We are fortunate to have leaders like Rep.
Hill who work to create a pro-business environment for our area,
one that attracts investment and encourages build out of our telecommunications
networks," said Alicia Summers, director of the Northeast Tennessee
Valley Regional Industrial Development Association.
"We continue to work aggressively to improve
our network infrastructure throughout Washington County to improve
the quality of our services," said Jim Thorpe, vice-president
and general manager for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets in
Kentucky and Tennessee. "We're working to make this possible
by adding new wireless coverage and offering exciting products to
help our customers stay connected with their world, at home and
on the go."
AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network is based
on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies
that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless
network platforms in the world. AT&T offers 3G data roaming
in more than 115 countries, as well as voice calling in more than
220 countries.
For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please
visit www.att.com/networknews.
