COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* invested more than $1.4 billion in its Ohio wireless and wireline networks from 2009 through 2011 with a focus on improving the company's mobile broadband coverage and overall performance of its networks.

During 2011, AT&T made more than 1,500 wireless network upgrades in four key categories in Ohio. These enhancements include:

Activating more than 60 new cell sites or towers to improve network coverage.
Deploying faster fiber-optic connections to more than 725 cell sites. Combined with HSPA+ technology, these deployments enable 4G speeds**.
Adding capacity or an extra layer of frequency to cell sites – like adding lanes to a highway – with the addition of nearly 525 of these layers, or "carriers".
Upgrading nearly 200 cell sites to provide fast [ mobile broadband ] speeds.

"Our goal is to deliver a network experience that mobilizes everything for customers. The ongoing investment we're making in Ohio is designed to increase coverage and reliability, and to provide advanced services to our customers," said Larry Evans, vice president and general manager, AT&T Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

AT&T Ohio state president, Tom Pelto, said his company's local investment creates many advantages for the people of Ohio. "A [ recent study ] by the NDN think tank found that innovation has driven continued investments to upgrade the wireless broadband infrastructure in America, including transitions from 2G to 3G and now from 3G to 4G," said Pelto. "The world is going wireless, and this technology is enabling, empowering, enriching and enhancing lives at work, at play and everywhere in between. This investment has spurred significant new job creation and growth across all sectors of the economy and has fostered employment for U.S. workers."

[ CNN Money recently recognized AT&T ] for enhancing its wireless network. Last year, AT&T completed 150,000 network enhancements across the country, more than triple the year before, giving customers more capacity and faster speeds, as well as improving 3G dropped-call performance by 25 percent.

"Consumers and businesses will continue to benefit from AT&T's investment in mobile broadband," said Alex Fischer, president and CEO, The Columbus Partnership. "Investment in wireless technologies will continue to drive economic development, job creation and innovation, which are keys to the success of Columbus 2020. Speed kills, because without it companies and communities are dead and this infrastructure investment in Ohio promises huge dividends going forward."

AT&T plans to support the build or upgrade of thousands of cell sites nationwide to increase network speed, coverage and reliability for both mobile voice and [ broadband services ]. In addition, AT&T plans to install additional radio "carriers" at thousands of cell sites nationally, enabling new layers of spectrum capacity to carry larger volumes of mobile broadband traffic. Additional capacity helps support rising mobile data traffic volumes, which continue to increase at a rapid pace.

AT&T operates the [ nation's largest Wi-Fi network ]*** with nearly 30,000 hotspots in the U.S. and provides access to nearly 190,000 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.

For more information about AT&T's coverage in Ohio or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the [ AT&T Coverage Viewer ]. Using the online tool, AT&T customers can measure quality of coverage from a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.

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.

**4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. 4G device required. Learn more at att.com/network.

*** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. 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 ]) 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 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, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, 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 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.

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 ]. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at [ http://www.att.com/newsroom ] and as part of an RSS feed at [ www.att.com/rss ]. Or follow our news on Twitter at [ @ATT ].

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

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.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

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ATamp;;T Invests More Than $1.4 Billion in Ohio From 2009 Through 2011 to Improve Local Networks

AT&T Invests More Than $1.4 Billion in Ohio From 2009 Through 2011 to Improve Local Networks

Company Builds New Cell Sites, Boosts Capacity and Adds Fiber Optics to Enhance Networks