AT&T Continues to Invest In Indiana
AT&T Inc. says it has pumped more than $35 million into its Indiana wireless network during the first six months of this year. The company says that is part of an overall capital investment of more than $115 million throughout the state in the first half of 2010.INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 9, 2010 — In just the first six months of this year, AT&T invested more than $35 million in its wireless network to continue improving customer service in Indiana.
The wireless investment in Indiana is part of an overall capital investment of more than $115 million in AT&T’s wireless and wireline networks across the state in the first half of 2010.
Service enhancements included:
· Adding three new cell sites throughout the state, including in Marion and Monroe Counties, as well as in Muncie to enhance coverage on Ball State University’s campus. These additions create more network capacity so wireless coverage is expanded and improved;
· Upgrading nearly 30 additional cell sites in Columbus and Terre Haute to mobile broadband service, the fastest wireless technology AT&T provides;
· Deploying additional radio carriers in Indianapolis, Speedway, Lebanon, Castleton, Zionsville and Bloomington, which improves the quality and coverage of wireless voice and data connections.
· The investment also includes upgrades to the AT&T wireline infrastructure, such as expanded AT&T U-verse® services, additional AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, and extended reach of broadband services.
“AT&T’s investment in Indiana proves just how important the right business and regulatory environment really is,” said Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman. “We’ve worked hard to use access to technology as a way to assist job creation in this state.”
AT&T customers are seeing the results of this investment with faster mobile broadband speeds and strong reliability, according to the latest round of comprehensive drive testing by Global Wireless Solutions Inc. (GWS). This GWS testing showed that AT&T maintained the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, connected more than 98 percent of calls on the first attempt, and carried 98.65 percent of calls to completion, a difference of less than one call out of 1,000 from the only higher-scoring provider.
“Good public policy promotes competition and creates a better economic environment for job growth,” said Senator Brandt Hershman (R-Lafayette), Chairman of the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee, and author of Indiana's 2006 telecommunications deregulation law. “AT&T's continued investment in Indiana is a win for its customers and the Hoosier economy.”
George Fleetwood, president of AT&T Indiana said his company’s local investment creates many advantages for the people of the Hoosier State.
“Our investment stimulates the economy and fosters employment for US workers,” Fleetwood said. “We are proud of that. In fact, AT&T has invested more in the last three years than any of our U.S. competitors. That creates economic growth across the board. Even in this troubled economy, we plan to invest $18-$19 billion this year, assuming the regulatory environment remains favorable. Our plan to invest up to 10 percent more than we did last year—again in these tough economic times—is a major commitment to our customers. But it’s also a huge commitment to our state and to our nation.”
Brian Ducharme, AT&T’s vice president and general manager in Indiana, said that AT&T remains focused on making the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network even faster.
“Our investment strategy allows us to continue increasing speeds, which means our capabilities continue to grow with our customers. Average national mobile broadband network speeds during the first six months of 2010 are up more than 25 percent, based on internal data.” These faster speeds have been delivered even as AT&T has managed unprecedented growth in mobile data usage. Over a three-year period (2007-2009), mobile data traffic on AT&T’s wireless network jumped about 5,000 percent.
The network investment compliments the introduction of new wireless data plans that make the benefits of mobile broadband more affordable for more people. Customers can choose the data plan that best fits their needs, starting with the DataPlus plan at $15 per month.
For more information about AT&T’s mobile broadband coverage in Indiana or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure coverage quality of coverage from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark. A map of AT&T Wi-Fi locations is available at www.att.com/go.
For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit www.att.com/networknews.
*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.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. 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 fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, 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. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.