Business & Tech
AT&T Wireless Network Upgrades to Benefit St. Pete Users
A $20 billion dollar AT&T initiative will improve voice and data service as well as allow users a unique way to view these improvements.
Cellular customers can see the progression of seven upgrades this year by visiting their new microsite called Focus:Tampa-St. Petersburg.
This site allows visitors to immediately view a map of the Tampa Bay area and gives consumers a look at specific network improvements AT&T has made in the region in 2011.
“Local customers will benefit from these network upgrades in the way of improved voice performance and data connectivity,” Kelly Starling, PR Manager for AT&T of South & West Florida, said via email.
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“Adding additional layers of mobile broadband capacity to cell sites allows those sites to handle more network traffic. It’s similar to widening a highway – you’re adding more lanes to the highway so more traffic can get on,” she added.
The local improvements are all part of AT&T’s plan to invest roughly $20 billion dollars in its wireless and wired networks in 2011, with the goal to make what it hails as “the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network” even faster.
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“Our ongoing investment in Florida is designed to increase coverage, reliability and offers advanced services for our customers,” Marshall Criser, III, AT&T Florida president said in a press release. “Through our local wireless network upgrades, we’re connecting people with their world by making it possible for them to do more on their wireless devices.”
The proliferation of smartphones combined with the demand for faster connectivity has made these upgrades a priority for the company.
“The capacity upgrades are all about supporting and managing ever-growing mobile broadband growth. With the increasing popularity of smartphones, people are doing more on their wireless devices in more places.” Starling said.
“The upgrades we’re making to our wireless network in the Tampa area are helping us to improve network performance, increase speeds and give our customers more ways to stay connected.”
According to AT&T, the areas benefitting from the extra mobile broadband capacity include Tampa, Wimauma, St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Largo, Dunedin, Brooksville, Homosassa, Lecanto, and Beverly Hills.
