AT&T Invests Nearly $625 Million in Illinois Wireless and Wireline Networks

In the first half of 2013, AT&T invested nearly $625 million in its wireless and wired networks in Illinois.  The investments included deployment of new macro cell sites, small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems across the state as a part of AT&T’s Project Velocity IP, a three-year investment plan announced last fall to expand and enhance its IP broadband networks.  The company also expanded and enhanced its 4G LTE network, which provides ultra-fast mobile Internet speeds, and deployed new Wi-Fi hot spots. 

Project Velocity IP is also spurring the deployment of advanced fiber-optic connections to thousands of Illinois businesses.  In just the first six months of 2013, nearly 6,100 additional business customer locations in Illinois – located in 125 multi-tenant office buildings across the state – now have access to blazing-fast, reliable connections to Internet and cloud-based resources, which ride on the fiber network.

“AT&T’s network investment supports Illinois’ economic health and our residents’ ability to succeed at work and at home,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said.  “The expansion of 4G mobile Internet access helps to ensure that people across the state have greater access to the latest mobile services and applications.”      

As part of Project VIP, AT&T also deployed advanced wired IP broadband connections for consumers, including AT&T U-verse® services for nearly 32,250 customer locations in Illinois, in just the first six months of 2013. 

“Fast, reliable connectivity is essential to both quality of life and competitiveness at work,” said AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza.  “No one understands that better than we do, and no one is doing more than AT&T to mobilize a world that works for people in Illinois.  With initiatives like Project Velocity IP, we’re working to ensure that Illinois consumers and businesses remain at the leading edge of broadband services.”

The 2013 year-to-date network investment builds on the more than $3.25 billion that AT&T has invested in its Illinois wireless and wired networks from 2010 through 2012.

AT&T 4G LTE is now available in multiple areas of the state, including Chicago, Carbondale-Marion, Quad Cities and Sterling. Nationwide, more than 225 million Americans have access to AT&T 4G LTE service.  By year-end 2013, AT&T expects to cover nearly 270 million people and 400 markets with its 4G LTE network.

For more information about AT&T’s coverage in Illinois 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.

To read the full version of this press release, click here

 

Tags: 4G, AT&T, Cellular, chicago, investments, LTE, network upgrades, Pat Quinn, Paul La Schiazza, wireless infrastructure

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