AT&T's Portland Wireless Network Gets Presidential Treatment

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March 30, 2010
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AT&T's Portland Wireless Network Gets Presidential Treatment

Additional Capacity and Bandwidth Added to Cell Site Near Portland Expo Center in advance of President's April 1st Visit

PORTLAND, Maine, March 31 -- In anticipation of higher than average wireless usage, AT&T* is giving its Portland wireless network an extra boost in preparation for tomorrow's Presidential visit, adding bandwidth to increase cell site capacity in the area of the Portland Expo Center, where President Obama is scheduled to speak on Thursday.

By permanently adding additional radios and deploying state of the art software upgrades to the cell sites in the area around the Center, AT&T's wireless network is expected to be able to handle additional voice and data traffic for this historic event.

These additions build upon AT&T's overall wireless network 2010 investment plans in Maine, which call for more than 20 new cell sites and the upgrade of nearly 100 additional cell sites to 3G throughout the state this year.

Wireless data traffic on the AT&T network has grown more than 5,000 percent over the past three years, largely attributed to the increasing popularity of advanced smartphones and the performance of AT&T's 3G network, the nation's fastest.

AT&T recently completed a software upgrade at 3G cell sites nationwide that prepares the nation's fastest 3G network for even faster speeds. The deployment of High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology is the first of multiple initiatives in AT&T's network enhancement strategy designed to provide customers with an enhanced mobile broadband experience, both today and well into the future.  Faster 3G speeds are scheduled to become available this year and in 2011 as AT&T combines the new technology with the increased deployment of high-speed backhaul connections to cell sites, primarily with fiber-optic technology.

AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, delivering voice service in over 220 countries and data service in more than 190 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on 130 major cruise ships, as well as 3G services in 115 countries.

For more information about AT&T's wireless coverage in Maine or anywhere in the United States, consumers can go to http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/.  The online tool provides up-to-date wireless coverage information for specific locations. The tool can measure the quality of coverage based on a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark.

For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit http://www.att.com/networknews.

*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.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. 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 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(SM) and AT&T |DIRECTV(SM) brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.

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 http://www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at http://www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz  to discover more about our small business services.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service 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.

Source: AT&T Inc.
   

CONTACT:  Kate MacKinnon of AT&T Inc., +1-508-271-8442,
kate.mackinnon@att.com

Web Site:  http://www.att.com/

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