InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[jimmylee]

AT&T goes 3G in the Northeast...


Jan. 24--Super-fast wireless networking and downloads have arrived in the Northeast corridor between Boston and New York, bringing AT&T's new "3G" network to several towns in southeastern Connecticut along the way.

The new 3G moniker stands for "third generation." The network it represents enables simultaneous voice and data calling, said Stephen Krom, AT&T's vice president and general manager for wireless in all the New England states in an exclusive interview with The Day.

AT&T's competitors don't yet offer the "blazing fast" speed of 3G, he said.

Over the last three years, the company has invested more than $18 billion to build its wireless network, Krom said. Since 2004, $105 million has been invested in Connecticut, he said.

Anyone with one of a variety of different types of AT&T cell phones (but not yet the iPhone) can now download video clips of everything from Disney cartoon shorts to YouTube segments and Power Point presentations in seconds.

The ramped up cellular service can even link individual cell phone users in a video conference call -- not quite as readily as with the "on screen" command from Next Generation Star Trek's Captain Picard, calling up the latest galaxy intruder, but live visual communication, nonetheless.

And a laptop with a 3G wireless card or memory chip can get wireless data as fast as if it were plugged into to a DSL line, said Adam Cormier, an AT&T spokesman.

In a brief demonstration, video-conferencing was buggy and didn't work, but a film clip of Goofy and Mickey Mouse in full-blown animation played without a hitch. The downloading of a Power Point presentation also worked quickly and seamlessly.

What 3G enables is more multi-tasking on cell phones and wireless laptops: talking and sending email or pictures at the same time, Krom said.

It is the only technology capable of handling both voice and data services at once, he said. AT&T uses the 850 Mhz and 1,900 Mhz frequencies in its major markets.

"These days, business moves at blistering speeds," said Tony Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. "As a result, instantaneous access to phone calls and data at work, home and in between has become a must-have for Connecticut companies of all sizes. Investments like AT&T's are critical if we want to grow our state's economy and bring new jobs to Connecticut."

The 3G network extends from Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford and New London, across the Thames River to Groton, Stonington, North Stonington and parts of Voluntown. The Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun casinos have had 3G coverage since last January.

The network also is available in Madison, Clinton, Middlesex, Westbrook and Old Saybrook; along the Merritt Parkway and Interstate 91; and at Bradley International Airport; the UConn-Storrs campus; and ESPN headquarters in Bristol.

The phone types that work with 3G include new models like the AT&T Tilt, Samsung BlackJackII, and AT&T Duo, as well as older ones like the LG Shine and Motorola RAZR2. The network also transfers to the Blackberry Curve when outside the second-generation (2G) coverage area, Krom said.

AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson has indicated in news reports that Apple will introduce a new iPhone later this year that can work with third-generation wireless networks.

To see more of The Day, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.theday.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, The Day, New London, Conn.