HONOLULU, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In just the first six months of this year, AT&T* invested more than $9 million in its wireless networks to continue improving customer service in Hawaii. The wireless investment in Hawaii is part of an overall capital investment of $11 million into AT&T's wireless and wireline networks in the state during the first half of 2010.
Service enhancements included: -- Adding three new cell sites throughout the Islands, including in areas such as Oahu, Kahului, Maui and Wheeler AFB. These additions create more network capacity so wireless coverage is expanded and improved; -- Upgrading three additional cell sites to mobile broadband service, the fastest wireless technology AT&T provides; -- The investment also includes upgrades to the AT&T wireline infrastructure, such as additional AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots and extended reach of broadband services.
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.
AT&T Hawaii President Dan Youmans said his company's local investment creates many advantages for the people of Hawaii.
"Our investment stimulates the economy and fosters employment for U.S. workers," Youmans 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."
Tammi Terrell, AT&T's vice president and general manager in Hawaii, 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.
"Put that in perspective," said Terrell. "Can you imagine if traffic on H-1 increased 5,000 percent? It would be an impossible situation, worse than the 60-mile traffic jam recently in China. But we have not only met that unprecedented growth; our network serves customers better and faster than before.
"No other company in the country has faced that kind of growth. There's no way to tell how their networks would have fared. But we've been tested by fire--like none other--and because of that, our customers are benefiting."
The network investment complements 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 Hawaii or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure 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 http://www.att.com/go.
For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit http://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.
DataPlus plan requires a wireless agreement and includes 200MB of data; each additional 200MB of overage is $15 and other restrictions apply.
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Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.
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