If there's one thing AT&T's network could use, it's
more network. Particularly in major cities (we're looking at you and your dastardly street parking situation, San Francisco), AT&T's 3G network is perpetually
overwhelmed, oftentimes forcing users to switch to EDGE just to tweet about how awful the coverage is. Thankfully, the operator is making good on its
earlier promise to roll out HSPA 7.2Mbps to select cities, with Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami now destined to get lit this year. Potentially more interesting, however, is the deployment of "additional backhaul capacity to cell sites," which will also support
LTE when the time comes. All told, around 2,000 new cell sites should be added before the year's end, and at least a half dozen 7.2Mbps-capable smartphones should be in AT&T's portfolio by the same deadline. Feel free to express your joy in comments below -- that is, if you can get comments to load on your existing 3G connection.
posted September 9th 2009 8:44AM
Mx2000: the 7.2 tech is already pretty dated, most carriers worldwide are working on the next increment, or have already rolled it out.
I would have to say that each carrier has their own business divisions in each country. Those smaller countries have newer technology because they have fewer towers.
If the US carriers were to jump to every new technology, every few years they would be replacing their entire infrastructure (nationwide, so new phones work everywhere), and you would be paying a significant amount more per month.
Straight up costs. Economies of scale kind of work backwards in the US when it comes to carriers. The more technology they put out, without necessarily increasing their user bases, the more they have to charge.
Now, I'm a 3GS owner and I live in Houston. At my house I already get phenomenal speeds compared to at work, so if my bandwidth goes up, I won't need a landbased internet connection (I tether and won't upgrade my software unless I know I can still jailbreak the tether), and I'll save money and the more I pay for AT&T will be justified. tee hee hee - tethering rules ;).
Chris D: The problem is that Verizon and Sprint refuse to switch off of CDMA because they know they will have to go through the same growing pains AT&T went through when they dropped TDMA. Verizon will wait 5-10 years to join the rest of the world until they have a full LTE network that would then be able to be used for both voice and data. Sprint has too much invensted in WiMAX so they will continue to try to get partners like the cable companies and other smaller carriers to work with them.
Los Angeles included haha...And yes, the iPhone 3G is only 3.6Mbps, while the 3GS is 7.2-capable. Just like every BlackBerry Bold 9000 is 3.6 ONLY, but the BlackBerry Bold 9700 will be 7.2, and released in early November.
Coverage where I am is already awesome. I'll take double the speed though. :D Theoretically, I know I know. Still, tethering, an browsing the web will be fantastic. It will also have the effect of getting a lot of iPhones OFF the 3.6 HSPA network.
Crunch
so when does LA get the upgrade? the year is almost over!