AT&T Conducts Nearly 600 Wireless Network Upgrades in Western Pennsylvania

AT&T says that in 2011 it carried out nearly 600 wireless network upgrades in western Pennsylvania as part of its efforts to improve mobile broadband coverage in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities.

Upgrades include activating new cell sites, enhancing broadband speeds, capacity upgrades and network connection upgrades.

The carrier said it added capacity or an extra layer of frequency to as many as 300 cell sites in several places including Allison Park Derry, North and west of Ebensburg Erie, Natrona Heights and Harrison Township, Meadville, New Stanton, Southern Indiana County, Shanksville and Berlin.

To speed up local mobile broadband networks in areas like Conneaut Lakeshore and Cooperstown, the operator said it activated 11 new cell sites and upgraded as many as 120 existing cell sites.

“The ongoing investment we're making in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is designed to increase coverage and reliability, and to provide advanced services to our customers so they can do more with their wireless devices,” said Larry Evans, vice president and general manager of AT&T Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

AT&T said it has plans to install additional radio “carriers” at thousands of cell sites nationwide to carry larger volumes of mobile broadband traffic.

Analysts say the carrier may ease the traffic on its mobile broadband network as AT&T has acquired additional spectrum from Qualcomm. According to reports, AT&T purchased 700 MHz spectrum licenses covering more than 300 million people for approximately $1.9 billion.

Additional capacity helps support rising mobile data traffic volumes, which have increased more than 8,000 percent over the past four years.

In other news, as part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced wireless devices and services, AT&T recently announced that it has expanded its mobile broadband coverage in downtown Cincinnati, near the area's major commercial airport in Hebron, Ky., and in the Mason, Ohio area by completing the installation of new antennas at eight cell sites in these locations to serve customers throughout these areas.