AT&T overhauling wireless service
Source: http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seatt...ry&i=high_tech
Quote:
AT&T overhauling wireless service
Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Urvaksh Karkaria Staff Writer
AT&T is upgrading its wireless service to reduce dropped calls and deliver snappier data transfer.
By summer?s end, AT&T expects to overhaul its 3G broadband service ? moves, the company said, will reduce call interruptions and boost in-building wireless coverage. Starting this year, AT&T will also roll out new technology that it says will double data transfer speeds.
The overhaul couldn't come sooner.
AT&T's wireless service has gotten pilloried in the media ? mostly the blogosphere ? for spotty coverage and iffy service. The service is especially poor in major metros and tech-hubs like New York and San Francisco.
Some blame AT&T's network problems on smartphone users. The big metros have a concentration of iPhone and Blackberry users who tend to be bandwith-hogs ? web-browsing, emailing and streaming YouTube videos on their phones.
?We have seen a significant increase in data traffic across the network, which causes us to always make sure we are upgrading and adding capacity,? said Keith Holmes, vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets for Georgia.
More than 540 cell sites in metro Atlanta have received the 850MHz spectrum overlay ? expanding 3G coverage across more than 3,800 square miles in the area, AT&T officials said.
The 850MHz spectrum can cover a wider area and penetrate walls better than the more common 1900MHz spectrum, Holmes said.
The 1900 spectrum, for instance, covers a roughly 2 mile radius around the cell tower. The 850 spectrum extends about 50 percent further.
As Gearlog noted, some dropped calls and signal problems in major cities are due to the 1900 MHz airwaves being saturated.
"As 3G 850 comes on throughout the rest of this year, the effect will be like going from having 100 people crammed into a conference room, to having the same population in a spacious ballroom,? Gearlog said.
AT&T will also deploy HSPA 7.2 technology in its 3G network beginning later this year, with national deployment slated for the end of 2011.
The new technology will double download speeds to up to 7.2 Mbps, Holmes said.
Most existing laptop cards and smartphones will not be able to take advantage of HSPA 7.2 technology. The iPhone 3GS , however, will be compatible.
AT&T has drawn criticism for network outage like the one at the SXSW Music and Media Conference, where the network got overwhelmed by the concentration of data-sucking iPhone users.
AT&T's infrastructure and network is adequate to handle typical demand, Holmes said. But network outages like the one at SXSW, while rare, can be expected.
"We built the highways, we anticipated the traffic," Holmes said. [But] ?every now and then, there?ll be a wreck that causes traffic to stall.?
Quote:
AT&T overhauling wireless service
Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Urvaksh Karkaria Staff Writer
AT&T is upgrading its wireless service to reduce dropped calls and deliver snappier data transfer.
By summer?s end, AT&T expects to overhaul its 3G broadband service ? moves, the company said, will reduce call interruptions and boost in-building wireless coverage. Starting this year, AT&T will also roll out new technology that it says will double data transfer speeds.
The overhaul couldn't come sooner.
AT&T's wireless service has gotten pilloried in the media ? mostly the blogosphere ? for spotty coverage and iffy service. The service is especially poor in major metros and tech-hubs like New York and San Francisco.
Some blame AT&T's network problems on smartphone users. The big metros have a concentration of iPhone and Blackberry users who tend to be bandwith-hogs ? web-browsing, emailing and streaming YouTube videos on their phones.
?We have seen a significant increase in data traffic across the network, which causes us to always make sure we are upgrading and adding capacity,? said Keith Holmes, vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets for Georgia.
More than 540 cell sites in metro Atlanta have received the 850MHz spectrum overlay ? expanding 3G coverage across more than 3,800 square miles in the area, AT&T officials said.
The 850MHz spectrum can cover a wider area and penetrate walls better than the more common 1900MHz spectrum, Holmes said.
The 1900 spectrum, for instance, covers a roughly 2 mile radius around the cell tower. The 850 spectrum extends about 50 percent further.
As Gearlog noted, some dropped calls and signal problems in major cities are due to the 1900 MHz airwaves being saturated.
"As 3G 850 comes on throughout the rest of this year, the effect will be like going from having 100 people crammed into a conference room, to having the same population in a spacious ballroom,? Gearlog said.
AT&T will also deploy HSPA 7.2 technology in its 3G network beginning later this year, with national deployment slated for the end of 2011.
The new technology will double download speeds to up to 7.2 Mbps, Holmes said.
Most existing laptop cards and smartphones will not be able to take advantage of HSPA 7.2 technology. The iPhone 3GS , however, will be compatible.
AT&T has drawn criticism for network outage like the one at the SXSW Music and Media Conference, where the network got overwhelmed by the concentration of data-sucking iPhone users.
AT&T's infrastructure and network is adequate to handle typical demand, Holmes said. But network outages like the one at SXSW, while rare, can be expected.
"We built the highways, we anticipated the traffic," Holmes said. [But] ?every now and then, there?ll be a wreck that causes traffic to stall.?
Comments
Source: http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seatt...ry&i=high_tech
The 3GS is way advanced.