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AT&T plans major 3G expansion ahead of second-gen iPhone

By Katie Marsal

Published: 01:00 PM EST
AT&T said Wednesday it plans a major expansion of its wireless network during the 2008 calendar year, including the deployment of third-generation (3G) wireless broadband service to more than 80 additional cities in the United States through the course of the year.



The news comes just months before Apple is expected to announce availability of its second generation iPhone, which, unlike the existing version, is expected to make broad use of the carrier's 3G network. The current version of the iPhone only functions on AT&T's slower 2.5G network dubbed Edge.

The planned expansion is expected to deliver AT&T 3G services to nearly 350 leading U.S. markets by the end of 2008, AT&T said in a statement, including all of the top 100 U.S. cities. The 3G initiative will also include the roll out of more than 1,500 additional cell sites nationwide. Other plans for the new year include completion of the nation's first High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)-enabled network by the middle of the year.

According to AT&T, its 3G network now delivers typical downlink speeds ranging between 600 and 1,400 Kilobits per second (Kbps), as well as faster uplink speeds, ranging from 500 and 800 Kilobits per second (Kbps). The faster uplink speeds allow AT&T's HSUPA-enabled laptop users to more quickly send large files and take full advantage of the latest interactive Internet and business applications.

"Fast wireless broadband is the foundation for a whole range of new and emerging applications that our customers are adopting, including everything from social networking to sending live video and large business files," said AT&T Wireless chief executive Ralph de la Vega. "With these aggressive initiatives, we're expanding the scope and the speed of our 3G capabilities, connecting people with their world and enabling more customers to do more with their wireless devices, wherever they may be."

De la Vega added this firm has also begun planning for the future by establishing a clear path to a 4G network that will meet the needs of its customers for years to come.

The deployment of HSUPA this year is the next step in the evolution of AT&T's 3G network, with further enhancements and speed boosts expected in the near future. This year's HSUPA deployment will complete the transition of the AT&T 3G network to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) standards, the carrier said, marking the only full transition by any wireless provider in the United States to this latest generation of wireless broadband capabilities.

"From the beginning, our wireless network has been designed with the future in mind," said de la Vega. "The capabilities of 3G standards will continue to expand over the next several years, enabling us to stay well ahead of our customers' broadband needs. And looking even further into the future, our existing technologies provide the ideal platform for a smooth transition to next-generation platforms."

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