AT&T Invests More Than $190 Million In Chicago Network In First Half Of 2012

CHICAGO, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- AT&T* is driving investment and innovation in Chicago to deliver superior 4G service and the best possible mobile Internet experience.

In the first half of 2012, AT&T invested more than $190 million in its Chicago wireless and wired networks. These enhancements include activation of new cell sites or towers to improve network coverage, deploying faster connections to enable 4G speeds, and adding spectrum capacity to support additional traffic, the company announced Thursday during a visit by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to its new Michigan Avenue flagship store.

AT&T has invested nearly $1.2 billion in its Chicago wireline and wireless networks from 2009 through the first half of 2012.

In the first half of 2012 alone, AT&T has:

Increased 4G LTE coverage, providing the fastest mobile Internet technology available throughout the city and metropolitan area

Installed additional antennas to improve our customers' experience in public venues including McCormick Place, Hyatt Regency Chicago, the newly-opened Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, formerly Children's Memorial, and Chicago's ballparks.

Expanded U-verse® availability to bring video choice to more Chicago households. AT&T broadband services already available to the large majority of Chicago households.

AT&T network upgrades in Chicago also include deployment of new AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots and backbone network connections.

"AT&T invested close to $1.2 billion in Chicago over the last three and a half years. We're working to build a 4G network that's smarter and better to provide our customers with a superior mobile Internet experience," said Paul La Schiazza, President, AT&T Illinois. "The ongoing investment we're making in Chicago is designed to increase 4G coverage, reliability and speed. We also continue to invest in technologies like Wi-Fi and DAS to help provide customers with the best connections when they need them, whatever they're doing."

"This investment announcement from AT&T is testament to the company's confidence in Chicago," said Mayor Emanuel. "As we continue to grow jobs and increase economic opportunity throughout the city, these investments will improve the quality of life and business outlook for Chicagoans throughout the city."

AT&T's innovation and investment has resulted in the nation's largest 4G network, covering 275 million people with ultra-fast speeds and a more consistent user experience. AT&T is the only U.S. service provider to deploy two compatible 4G technologies to deliver more speed to more customers. Our 4G LTE network delivered faster average download speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld's most recent 13-market speed tests.

AT&T's 4G LTE network delivers speeds faster than many other mobile Internet technologies**, as well as multiple innovations that optimize the network for performance. Our network's radio components are placed close to the antenna at most cell sites, instead of inside the base station, which helps minimize power loss between the base station and antenna and, in turn, improves the performance of our 4G LTE network. The network also is designed with its core elements distributed across the country, which helps reduce latency, or the delay when using the Internet, because your request isn't traveling as far.

Even as AT&T continues to expand its 4G LTE coverage in 2012 and 2013, customers can get 4G speeds outside of 4G LTE areas on our 4G HSPA+ network, unlike competitors, where smartphone customers fall back to slower 3G technologies when outside of LTE coverage.

AT&T's focus to deliver the best possible mobile Internet experience goes beyond 4G to embrace additional connection technologies. AT&T operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network*** including more than 30,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers across the country. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi usage doesn't count against customers' monthly wireless data plans.

AT&T also is a leading developer of Distributed Antenna System (DAS) networks, which utilize multiple small antennas to maximize coverage and speed within stadiums, convention centers, office buildings, hotels and other areas where traditional coverage methods are challenging.

Over the past five years, AT&T invested more than $115 billion into operations and into acquiring spectrum and other assets that have enhanced our wireless and wired networks. Since 2007, AT&T has invested more capital into the U.S. economy than any other public company. In a July 2012 report, the Progressive Policy Institute ranked AT&T No. 1 on its list of U.S. "Investment Heroes."

For more information about AT&T's coverage in Chicago or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. Deployment ongoing. 4G LTE device and data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more about 4G LTE at att.com/network.

*** Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

About AT&TAT&T Inc. T -0.43% is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T â"eDIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com . This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss . Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking StatementsInformation set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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