**Clarification: AT&T is adding 74 cell sites in the Los Angeles area this year, not just in Orange County. **

**UPDATE, 9/5/08** AT&T offers list of South OC cities below in bold.Also, AT&T offers update on North OC status.

If you’re an AT&T Wireless user living or working in South Orange County, consider yourself special. The company just upgraded service there so that its subscribers will get better cellular signal inside buildings.

This is part of a $310 million investment AT&T is making this year in the greater Los Angeles area, which spans from San Clemente to San Luis Obispo. This should improve cell signal for voice and data calls.

South OC was considered high priority, said Geoff Mordock, an AT&T spokesman. He couldn’t elaborate as to why South OC is special to AT&T, as is Bakersfield and Palm Springs where the improved service has also launched. But, apparently, not high priority is North OC. (South OC, as AT&T defines it, includes Irvine and anything southward.) But North OC “is in our plans, ” he said.

And the upgrade, he added, has nothing to do with reports of unsatisfactory 3G iPhone service.

Technically, the improvement came about because AT&T added the wireless frequency of 850 Megahertz, which supplements its existing 1900 Mhz service, Mordock said.

Now, 850 MHz is a frequency that has been reserved for analog cell phone users since the 1980s, said Charles Golvin, who tracks the mobile industry as a principal analyst at Forrester Research. The newer 1900 MHz started in the 90s and is used for digital service (Sprint uses just 1900 for its all digital service). Over the years, the technology has been tweaked so service and features have improved. While most cellular carriers use both frequencies, they may use different ones depending on region. AT&T has now chosen to offer both here in parts of OC.

“Over time, AT&T and Verizon offer the same thing because they both have 1900 and 850. They have gradually transitioned their services and technologies so in any market that you travel into, you may be using 1900, maybe 850 or both but not simultaneously,” he said. “But the main point is 850 Mhz penetrates buildings better.”

AT&T turned on the service this week. By the end of the year, the company will have added 74 new cell cites in OC in the Los Angeles area (corrected 9/10/08) to boost its high-speed services. Most are already online, the company said.

Update 9/5: AT&T says the cities affected are Irvine, Foothill Ranch, San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest and Aliso Viejo.

Mordock also wants to reiterate that North Orange County is important too. “I confirmed that we expect to roll out 850 coverage in that area over the next several weeks (expected completion is by mid November). Please understand that this takes considerable resources and that not all areas can be completed at once,” he said.

Any South OC AT&T users out there? Has the service improved? Please share your experience with the rest of us!

Image from AT&T

Past AT&T posts:

• DSL down to $10/month from Verizon and AT&T
• How iPhone users can save money overseas
• Make Outlook Express work with AT&T e-mail
• Get tech help in your home from AT&T
• AT&T offers $10,000 to help catch copper-wire thieves
• BillShrink quickly shows how to save on cell bill
• Did AT&T yank free Wi-Fi for iPhone users?

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