AT&T says big 3G wireless broadband expansion in the works

Company plans on deploying 3G network to 80 more U.S. cities in 2008

AT&T announced this week that it would be expanding its 3G wireless broadband network to 80 additional cities in 2008, thus bringing its 3G services to almost 350 major U.S. markets by year-end.

The company says its expansion plans are meant to connect more customers to high-speed mobile broadband, as well as pave the way for the eventual deployment of 4G networks. In addition to expanding its network, the company plans on completing its High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)-enabled network by mid-year, which AT&T says will let customers with HSUPA-enabled laptops to send files more quickly than on AT&T's standard 3G network.

"Fast wireless broadband is the foundation for a whole range of new and emerging applications that our customers are adopting," says Ralph de la Vega, the president and CEO of AT&T's wireless unit, who cited social networking and the transfer of large business files as practical applications for the HSUPA-enabled network. "The capabilities of 3G standards will continue to expand over the next several years, enabling us to stay well ahead of our customers' broadband needs."

AT&T became the first carrier to offer 3G mobile broadband services in 2004, when it rolled out its 20K to 320Kbps Wideband Code Division Multiple Access service in Detroit, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. The company's 3G network has significantly increased its speed since that time, and the company says it can now reach downlink speeds of up to 1,400Kbps and uplink speeds of up to 800Kbps.

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AT&T announced this week that it would be expanding its 3G wireless broadband network to 80 additional cities in 2008, thus bringing its 3G services to almost 350 major U.S. markets by year-end.

The company says its expansion plans are meant to connect more customers to high-speed mobile broadband, as well as pave the way for the eventual deployment of 4G networks. In addition to expanding its network, the company plans on completing its High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)-enabled network by mid-year, which AT&T says will let customers with HSUPA-enabled laptops to send files more quickly than on AT&T's standard 3G network.

"Fast wireless broadband is the foundation for a whole range of new and emerging applications that our customers are adopting," says Ralph de la Vega, the president and CEO of AT&T's wireless unit, who cited social networking and the transfer of large business files as practical applications for the HSUPA-enabled network. "The capabilities of 3G standards will continue to expand over the next several years, enabling us to stay well ahead of our customers' broadband needs."

AT&T became the first carrier to offer 3G mobile broadband services in 2004, when it rolled out its 20K to 320Kbps Wideband Code Division Multiple Access service in Detroit, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. The company's 3G network has significantly increased its speed since that time, and the company says it can now reach downlink speeds of up to 1,400Kbps and uplink speeds of up to 800Kbps.

HSUPA is a protocol of High Speed Packet Access, a wireless broadband technology used to deliver mobile data services to 3G mobile devices. High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), another protocol of HSPA, is currently used in 3G handsets developed by companies such as AT&T, Samsung and Vodafone and can download data at a rate of 7Mbps.

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