AT&T Increases 3G Wireless Network Speeds

June 16, 2008

AT&T announced that recent enhancements to its High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) technology will allow a 20 percent increase in 3G wireless download speeds and a 50 percent increase in uplink speeds for its wireless LaptopConnect customers. The upgrades are expected to be deployed across all of AT&T’s existing 3G markets before the end of June.

AT&T LaptopConnect 3G Wireless Network Speeds up to 1.7 Mbps

The new typical wireless broadband speeds for LaptopConnect customers will be between 700 Kbps (kilobits per second) and 1.7 Mbps (megabits per second) for downlinks and between 500 Kbps and 1.2 Mbps for uplinks. The new typical speed ranges reflect the results of recent measurements performed during thousands of tests in multiple markets.

AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network is available in more than 275 major U.S. metropolitan areas. Later this month, AT&T expects to have fully deployed High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology across its entire 3G network; and by year-end, the company plans to offer 3G service in nearly 350 major metropolitan U.S. areas.

Growing Demand for AT&T Higher 3G Wireless Speeds

The company reports that the number of AT&T LaptopConnect subscribers increased more than 83 percent between the first quarters of 2007 and 2008, showing strong demand for this type of data use.

Between 2005 and the end 2008, AT&T will have invested more than $20 billion in network improvements and upgrades. The company's HSPA network will be able to handle growing customer demand, evolving to HSPA+ and providing next-generation speeds through a software upgrade. As HSPA technology evolves between 2009 and 2010 to HSPA+, peak speeds could reach 20 Mbps. AT&T plans to adopt LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology to reach even higher speeds in the longer term.

The upgrade coincides with the upcoming unveiling of Apple’s next-generation iPhone.