AT&T announces slew of network investments for 2010
By Chris Ziegler 
posted March 6th 2010 11:16AM
posted March 6th 2010 11:16AM
AT&T's preaching about the mucho dinero it's dropping into renovating its network to pretty much anyone who'll listen these days, and a veritable cornucopia of press releases this week start to go into detail on some of the upgrades we'll be seeing over the course of 2010. We're counting at least a dozen here, covering everything from New York City to Florida to Oklahoma, but the message is basically the same in every one: more cell sites, more 3G coverage, more backhaul. AT&T liberally pimps its nine-figure investments in most states over the past several years, too -- but of course, phones need spectrum to communicate, not blank checks and promises. Let's see how we finish the year after those iPads, next-gen iPhones, and AT&T-compatible Nexus Ones (our fingers are crossed) have had a chance to slam the airwaves for a bit, shall we?
I've been pretty impressed with AT&T this past year. I've used a Bold, Bold 9700, Storm2 (on EDGE only), and a 3GS - all with great success and great speeds.
I hope 2010 brings even faster speeds and more awesome hardware to AT&T.
@MRCUR
who would possibly want ATT nexux one?
the whole point of that phone is being able to take advantage of T-mobile 3G. Say no to AT&T's slavery!
Its about time. Is it too much to ask for a decent 3G experience? Put that Iphone $$ you have into some towers. Its been 3 years already!
@AlfaCat If you're lucky enough to live in one of T-Mobiles 3G coverage areas, have you ever actually seen 3G coverage? None of my friends' androids have ever picked up 3G.
Fact is, T-Mobile uses higher-frequency bands which don't penetrate walls and buildings as well. Here in South Florida, AT&T is very heavily biased toward 850MHz, which, incidentally, gives me great indoor coverage.
@MRCUR
All lies
@HerbieDerb Maybe they could invest more if Apple didn't take their big cut of service charges.
@Ryan Trevisol Gotta say you're right, I live in the SF Bay Area and my 3G with T-Mobile is still sketchy, it's great when you have it, but that's not often lol.
I'll be holding out till Google buys Deutch Telecom. They'll be a decade ahead of the competition. Even if i have to wait a decade.
@MRCUR Notice how you pay $30 a month to only use edge! LOL
@Hydra - Huh? I'm using a 3GS now which most certainly supports 3G.
@Hydra Notice how Verizon's "World Phones" (in this case, the Storm 2) are limited to CDMA2000 and GSM/GPRS/EDGE? There is NO WCDMA/HSPA on Verizon's "World Phones!" That means NO GSM 3G!
@aschettler And that's where your wrong. For example:
BlackBerry® Storm2™ 9550 smartphone:
Network Support: Dual–band 800/1900 MHz CDMA/EV–DO Rev. A networks; Quad–Band: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks Single–Band: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks
HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone:
Network Support: EV–DO, 1X RTT capable (Rev. A capable); GSM Quad Band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE); UMTS/WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA
BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630 smartphone:
Network Support: Dual–band 800/1900 MHz CDMA/EV–DO Rev. A networks; Quad–Band: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks Single–Band: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks
Verizon has 3 smartphones with 3G GSM and CDMA, and 2 smartphones (HTC Ozone, Samsung Saga) With 3G CDMA 2G GSM.
Meh.
Why isn't T investing in LTE in 2010? Seems like too little too late...
@anth0ny - Let them get their current network up to snuff and then we can deal with LTE. Hopefully AT&T has learned a bit through the past three or so years, and hired some excellent engineers in the process, and can start off their LTE deployment with a bang.
@MRCUR Yes "supports 3g" but you are getting edge. Those of us forced into the monthly $30.00 data plans, that do not live in 3G areas are getting screwed
Understand?
@Hydra - Uh, my Storm2 ran on EDGE because it doesn't support US GSM 3G. I have very fast and reliable 3G at home and everywhere I go.
@Ryan Trevisol
Suuuureee, unless they live in a remote part of SO. FL, you're stretching the truth by a wide margin. T-Mobile 3G is no worse than their 2G -- they just don't have 3G installed on all of their towers, YET..
@Sean Connery
Yes, indeed you are correct. I would do the same.
May I say what a pleasure it is to see such a fine actor take interest in Tech and gadgetry. Now, how about you read my script? Ill throw in a Storm2!
(rofl)
@MRCUR Too little, too late.
@Fred - How is it too little? What do you want from them? AT&T now has a network that pretty much meets the claims they say it does. My 3G "experience" is much better on AT&T than it could be on Sprint or Verizon.
@usa1 Apple stop taking $$ from ATT more than 2 years ago.
@DrBlaze
I'm not a director! You'll have to speak to a producer or director for that..
Funny how upgrades to AT&T's network are going to drive iPhone competitors to AT&T.
@Jeff
I hope so. I don't ever plan on leaving my $15 dollar MEdia NEt plan! All I does is swap my sim and change the settings. Then boom, 3G service! I was hoping the HD2, N900, Nexus One would come to AT&T so I can ditch my 3Gs. But yeah, I have noticed a great improvement in 3G. Less drop calls. Go AT&T!
Hopefully a good chunk of that is the back end...I'm sick of having full HSDPA coverage but only getting ~800kbps speeds!
@Toleraen Im sick of the fact that when im home way out in the country, and only get edge, it always works, but anywhere I have 3G it's spotty.
The next iphone will have to be crazy to move me from Verizon now with all the crazy droidika's coming down the pipe. Did you guys know that verizon paid Lucasfilms for the right to use the word DROID. George Lucas again = win
@a dark day Using the word droidekas = win. I want a phone named that - "Master, Moto Droidika's!"
@a dark day
I hate that they called it the Droid cause I can't talk to any average person about Android cause they say "The Droid on Verizon?"
No stupid, the OS... "Whats an OS?"
/facepalm
Should of stuck with Milestone, no one knows what Android is...
@Drybones5
Maybe you shouldn't bug people that don't give a crap about tech with the talk about android. They'll never understand us ^_^
well drybones that means verizon's ads worked better than anyone could have hoped .
@Drybones5,
My friend (who claims to be a geek girl) said she loves the new Hitachi Droid phones. It was HTC Android phones.
@a dark day
Kind of random, but I live up here in Alaska. Earlier today I went to the Anchorage Museum and saw the Star Wars Exhibit there. Amazing! If it comes to a town near you you must absolutely go. But that goes without saying, doesn't it!
AT&T is spending a lot of money on their network this year, 2 billion alone for the placement of new towers and fiber line to them.
I think the cost was about 18 billion for the total overhaul of the network with upgrades and new sites.
And I believe Google did say ALL major carriers would get the Nexus One. And as for the HTC Desire, those bands are AT&T's bands so if it ever goes states side, AT&T would be getting that.
What I really want is the Dell Mini 5, but I think I have to compromise for something less :(
i just hope they come to my city soon. on football gamedays (LSU) it is IMPOSSIBLE to send text messages and only about 50% of your calls can go through when you're on campus/near the stadium
I understand the need for big cities first, but I think college towns need upgrades soon as well.
@xxhonkeyxx
agreed, I don't get any 3g here in iowa city, but the edge coverage is nice. Most people are on verizon out here as a result, but I'm pretty happy with my samsung jack.
@xxhonkeyxx at Santa Clara University, a school in the middle of Silicon god damn Valley, AT&T coverage is abysmal. I was there last semester and it was seriously awful. Constantly dropping calls, very little coverage indoors. Just pathetic.
I have to say that personally my biggest gripes are with Att's prices and policies... Have not really had any issues with their network. Not saying that don't exist, just simply can't relate. Ive been a subsriber for 8 years and have lived all around the us and have used every version of the iPhone since the beginning and have been satisifed. Now maybe they should work on cuttin the cost of their plans and data package add ons.
@JayDiablo
A Family Data plan would be nice. AT&T is competing against Verizon's data plan rates. if anyone of them drops, they both drop.
AT&T and Verizon don't care what happens on Sprint or T-Mobile's plans
@Drybones5 Who cares about Sprint. They only have the Palm Pre and now that's with Verison. Tmobile has almost no smart phones.
@Troyb0y29
T-MObile had Android phones before any one else and are getting the HD2. I don't like T-Mobile but they get sweet deals on hardware. Including the only carrier to have the Nexus one at the moment
@Troyb0y29
Theres also the ubiquitous 3G coverage with Sprint? Have you ever compared AT&T and Sprint's 3G coverage maps? Theres a HUGE difference, making Sprint the 2nd biggest 3G network behind Verizon. The only reason Sprint has worse indoor coverage is because Verizon and AT&T have all the lower band licenses in the US... But thats what' free Verizon roaming on Sprint is for! :D
@Troyb0y29
tmobile = nexus one
no smartphones on metropcs maybe
but tmobile is android mama
@blainer Sure Sprint's 3g is larger than AT&T's 3g for the time being, but have you ever compared Sprint's native network to AT&T's, it is noticeably smaller.
I can't wait for ATT. I sure hope a CDMA or better yet - CDMA/GSM version of the iPhone comes out soon. Frankly I wish all high end PDA phones were CDMA/GSM.
@boe
Blackberries are all CDMA and GSM compatible cause the antenna in them are multi-band. RIM just flashes a certain OS for each carrier to activate certain bands. I think that is one reason Blackberries are more expensive than they should be.
@Drybones5 Howdy,
I'm not disagreeing with what you say, just commenting on what I'd like. There are a number of good phones that are worldphones. Some of the new HTC WM phones and android phones coming out will be world phones. I'd like if the iPhone was offered on Sprint and Verizon as well as having a SIM slot.
@boe Even if they were CDMA, its a huge hassle to program a CDMA phone to a CDMA carrier, have you tried swtiching a Verizon phone to Sprint or vice-versa? Its a huge headache, and nowhere near as simple as GSM. What needs to happen is for CDMA to die.
@Drybones5 Blackberries do NOT come with both GSM and CDMA by default. Verizon offers it on their world phone series, but that is definitiely not the case with with the majority of their offerings, and as far as I know, it is never the case on GSM carriers.
ATT, can we upgrade your internet service while we're at it? Shame that all we have here in my part of Houston is ATT DSL/U-Verse and Comcast. I won't go with Comcast because of their monthly cap.