AT&T “Beefing Up” its Network to Cope with iPad

Lately, AT&T has faced numerous complaints of poor or slow data bandwidth from its users of the iPhone, specifically the business users and the typical Apple consumer. Metropolitan regions like New York and San Francisco, where iPhone use is exceptionally heavy, make up the bulk of these complaints. AT&T’s main competitor Verizon even uses AT&T’s lack luster network in its marketing to differentiate their services.

With the introduction of Apple’s latest media technology the iPad, AT&T’s network could become even more crowded now that the iPad’s internet capabilities will be provided by AT&T’s 3G network exclusively, like that of the iPhone. To cope with the increase in users in their 3G networks, AT&T is really serious about expanding their network.

The expansion of AT&T’s networks began in 2009, where they added 1,900 new cell sites that expanded 3G coverage to over 360 markets enabling it to now reach an estimated 75 percent of the population.

AT&T is now looking to invest over $2 billion in 2010 to expand and improve the broadband data network even further… Finally! It plans to deploy fiber-optic backhaul, which will increase 3G data speeds even further, as well as focusing on boosting data capacity in troubled areas like New York and San Francisco.

AT&T CFO, Rick Lindner, offered this statement in response to AT&T’s excitement to take on the Internet capabilities for the new iPad:
“We believe, though, the device, based on where we believe it will be used–in homes, in offices, coffee shops, bookstores, airports, so on and so forth–will be used a substantial amount of time in a Wi-Fi environment. And so we’ll just–we’ll have to monitor this usage as the device gets out there. And if it’s substantially different, we’ll adapt to it. But right now, I think the economics will be very positive because it will be a very low-cost device for us–no cost, really, in terms of acquisition.”

Hopefully, AT&T can effectively expand and improve upon their 3G networks all over the world in order to better service its customers. Once they do this, and their Internet services become one without issues, their competitor Verizon will have to find another flaw in AT&T’s system to market against!

Information Provided By: Tony Bradley, PC World
Blog Post Written By: Kent Seiders