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AT&T “doubling” 3G network in anticipation of iPhone 3G data demands

Categories: Announcements, Apple, AT&T, iPhone,
By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 1:46 PM

If there’s one thing that AT&T learned from last year’s EDGE network-overload, it’s that mobs and hoards of over-eager iPhone owners are apt to overload the No. 1 US wireless carrier’s data network. So, on the eve of the US iPhone 3G launch, AT&T has announced that it is “doubling” the AT&T 3G network upgradecapacity of their 3G network.

With their HSPA network upgraded and ready to serve up wireless data on both the HSDPA and HSUPA side of the data network, AT&T is looking to have approximately half of all their cell sites upgraded to handle more 3G data throughput by year’s end. The announcement comes just ahead of the July 11 launch date for the US iPhone 3G, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll have additional capacity on launch day. At least not in smaller markets.

With 300 markets covered by their 3G network, AT&T is looking to expand coverage to almost 350 markets by next year.

Here’s to hoping that major metropolitan markets get the 3G network upgrades sooner than later. We have a feeling that iPhone 3G users in big cities are going to be testing the limits of their new high-speed HSPA connections.

[Via: iPhoneAtlas]

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About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • tRicK

    VZW is actually the U.S.’s #1 wireless carrier, based on subscribers. (Since the merger of Alltel)

    AT&T is #2

  • Will Park

    Not yet. But soon that will be true.