AT&T expanding 3G network to 80 more cities, adds HSUPA
AT&T plans to expand its 3G wireless broadband services into more than 80 additional cities in the US throughout 2008. In addition, it will be the first HSUPA network to go live.
The planned expansion will put AT&T’s 3G network in almost 350 leading US markets, including all of the top 100 US cities. It calls for an addition of more than 1,500 cell sites across the nation.
Also planned is the nation’s first HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) network. HSUPA, also called EUL (Enhanced Uplink) by 3GPP, theoretically provides uplink speeds of up to 5.76 Mbit/s, though typically speeds on a live network will be closer to 800 Kbit/s. AT&T is already using HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) typically providing 1.5 Mbit/s downlink speeds.
“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 Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO for AT&T’s wireless unit. “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.”
The AT&T network is based on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standards, which account for 86 percent of the worlds population. Available GSM broadband services are currently in their third generation, which includes HSDPA, HSUPA, and a short-term evolution to HSPA+ (Evolved High Speed Packet Access). The upgrade paves the way for LTE (Long Term Evolution), which is part of the fourth generation of wireless broadband communications.
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