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O.C., L.A. among first to get AT&T’s faster mobile broadband

September 9th, 2009, 3:07 pm by

AT&T WirelessFinally! AT&T confirms that Orange County (and Los Angeles) will be one of six regions nationwide to get faster mobile Internet before the end of the year.

The other five regions are Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Miami. (See earlier mention from May, ”7.2 Mbps Internet speeds coming to AT&T mobile this year.“)

The company doesn’t link the upgrade to negative reports from iPhone users. But AT&T mentions in a press release that its wireless traffic has quadrupled in the past year, and the upgrade is just “part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation and investment to lead the industry in delivering the benefits of smartphones and mobile broadband for customers.”

iPhone and other AT&T smartphone users can look forward to faster Internet, with speeds up to 7.2 megabits per second. That’s faster than some home broadband service.

But this isn’t the next generation 4G service being tested by Verizon and Sprint in other parts of the country. This is High Speed Packet Access 7.2, sometimes called Turbo 3G. AT&T’s plans to begin testing 4G (using Long Term Evolution technology, or LTE) next year and will offer 4G service in 2011.

HSPA requires a software upgrade. This is supported by souped-up cell sites, which are being linked by fiber-optic cables for to improve speeds.  HSPA is expected to be the fastest mobile broadband offered by any wireless company this year, said AT&T.

Theoretical speeds hit 7.2 mbps but that is with ideal conditions and usually in a lab. In reality, expect something slower. Just like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies, HSPA speeds are affected by location, the device and overall traffic on the wireless network.

AT&T plans to roll out the faster HSPA service to the rest of the nation by the end of 2010. By the end of 2011, 90 percent of its existing 3G network will get the HSPA boost.  As part of the launch, AT&T will offer six compatible smartphones plus two new LaptopConnect cards.

Recent 3G and 4G news:


Posted in: Cell phones • iPhone • • • • • • • | 11 Comments »

Verizon improves wireless coverage in Anaheim, Mission Viejo

June 15th, 2009, 3:24 pm by

Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless turned on two more cell sites in Orange County, the company said today. 

One is in Mission Viejo, offering better coverage along Alicia Parkway and Trabuco Road. 

The other new site is in an industrial neighborhood near East Street and Vermont Avenue in Anaheim.

This should offer better reception not only for passing drivers, but residents and businesses in the area.

The upgrade is part of Verizon’s $90 million investment to add 3G service to existing cell sites in Southern California, as reported earlier (see “Verizon spends $90 million improving 3G, indoor coverage.”)

The company is adding the 850 Megahertz frequency, which penetrates through walls better. The new frequency also expands and adds capacity to its 3G broadband network.

All of Verizon’s cell sites in Orange County are now 3G friendly, says spokesman Ken Muche.

Past stories on Orange County cell reception:


Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | 4 Comments »

7.2 Mbps Internet speeds coming to AT&T mobile this year

May 27th, 2009, 4:04 pm by

AT&T WirelessThe next-generation of AT&T’s mobile broadband won’t be out until 2011 or 2012.

Until then, the company said today it is upgrading its existing network to HSPA 7.2 technology, which will offer speeds of up to 7.2 megabits per second.

In reality, of course, the speeds will be slower but that should still beat today’s existing 3G service, which hovers between 700 to 1,700 kilobits per second.

AT&T is calling the upgrade a “speed boost.”

To access the new speeds, users must have HSPA-compatible smartphones or laptop cards (sorry iPhone 3G friends).

As part of the estimated $17 billion upgrade this year, the company is also doubling the amount of wireless spectrum dedicated to 3G service and improving indoor service. This upgrade was recently completed in Orange County (see “Better iPhone service in O.C., L.A.? AT&T completes upgrade.”) And because of the upgrade, the company is building 2,100 new cell sites across the country.

The new technology will start rolling out this year. No details on when the Orange County market will get access to the speedier service. The rollout should be completed by 2011, just in time for AT&T’s even faster 4G service to start rolling out.

AT&T, by the way, has committed to Long Term Evolution, or LTE, technology, which has tested at 50 to 60 megabits per second. Verizon Wireless is also backing the LTE technology, while Sprint is already rolling out its 4G service, based on WiMax technology. AT&T plans to begin testing LTE in certain markets in 2010. 

One big reason for the 3G upgrade? In the same manner that it took 3G service several years to roll out, the 4G service will be the same. Those not in 4G parts of the country will still have the faster 3G service to rely on.

More bits from the web:

More on 4G mobile service: 


Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local cell phone services

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 3 Comments »

Better iPhone service in O.C., L.A.? AT&T completes upgrade

May 27th, 2009, 8:01 am by

UPDATE, 5/27/09: Thanks for the comments about AT&T coverage in your neighborhood. While some readers scoff at AT&T’s upgrade, others are grateful. All of it got me thinking… is everyone getting better service or just people indoors and 3G Internet users? AT&T responded to further questions about this. See updates below in bold… 

AT&T enhances wireless coverage in Orange County

Got an iPhone? Its reception indoors and overall Internet service quality should be tons better than last year, thanks to a major upgrade by AT&T in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. If you’re an AT&T user and you haven’t noticed this, you could be out of luck.

That’s because AT&T says the upgrade is completed. It spent the past several months adding the 850 MHz spectrum to all cell sites in the area  to complement the existing 1,900 MHz spectrum.

“This new spectrum adds significant capacity to the network to support ever-growing demand for 3G mobile broadband service, and provides improved in-building 3G wireless coverage for customers across the metropolitan area,” says the company.

The 850 MHz is a frequency that has been reserved for analog cell phone users since the 1980s. 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.

The main point is 850 Mhz penetrates buildings better. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • | 27 Comments »

Verizon spends $90 million improving 3G, indoor coverage

May 4th, 2009, 12:01 am by

Verizon Wireless

UPDATE: The $90 million investment is in Southern California (!!), not the entire state. 

Hey, Verizon Wireless users — has indoor reception or broadband for your 3G phone improved? Let me know because the company tells me that since January, it has been tweaking every single cell site in Orange County and the rest of *Southern* California to improve the network. The $90 million investment is approximately 45 percent complete, said Ken Muche, a Verizon Wireless spokesman.

“As individuals and companies become more reliant on our 3G mobile broadband service, mobile broadband usage has doubled year over year in the (Orange County) region. To keep ahead of that demand, and to improve the overall experience for our customers, we are investing an incremental $90 million in our mobile broadband network,” Muche said.  

Technically, Verizon is adding the 850 Megahertz frequency, which penetrates through walls better. The new frequency also expands and adds capacity to its 3G broadband network.

When AT&T told me it was doing this in O.C. last year (see “UPDATE: AT&T improves indoor cell signal … for some of O.C.“), Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin told me 850 MHz was the original frequency reserved for analog cell phone users in the 1980s. I wrote:

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,” Golvin said. “But the main point is 850 Mhz penetrates buildings better.”

Verizon plans to use the existing 1900 MHz frequency for phone calls. 

Every single Verizon cell site in *Southern*California is expected to get upgraded by the end of June 2009. Approximately 85 percent of the $90 million is designated for the Orange County and Los Angeles markets because of the population density.

More on cell-phones:

Past stories on improved reception in O.C.: 

Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local cell phone services. 

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | 18 Comments »

Verizon improves mobile phone quality in Santa Ana, Tustin

March 27th, 2009, 12:23 pm by

AT&T isn’t alone in improving cell coverage in Orange County. Verizon Wireless wants to add that it, too, is constantly adding more cell sites here. 

The new O.C. locations improve 3G wireless coverage in specific parts of Santa Ana and Tustin: 

  • Santa Ana: McFadden Avenue from Euclid Street to Fairview Road and on Harbor Boulevard from Edinger Avenue to Hazard Avenue
  • Tustin: Downtown Tustin and East Tustin, including the Tustin Civic Center. Also improves service along Irvine Boulevard and Newport Avenue.

Increased 3G coverage means more capacity for calls, e-mails, multimedia messaging and Web access.

Verizon said it invested $600 million in California last year to enhance service and coverage. Comparably, AT&T (the only other company that has released this information) said its total capital investment in its network in California from 2006 to 2008 was “nearly $7.9 billion.”

Hello Sprint? T-Mobile? I have requests in to both companies asking for an O.C. update. Stay tuned…

More on cell-phones: Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local cell phone services. Previous stories on new cell sites in Orange County:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Better iPhone, AT&T coverage coming to California in 2009

March 26th, 2009, 1:05 pm by

AT&T just announced plans to improve mobile coverage statewide this year by adding new cell sites and upgrading older ones.

In the Orange County and Los Angeles area, the company will add 94 new cell sites and upgrade 133 older ones to 3G service, confirmed Deborah Lieberman Rapoport, with AT&T. No details on O.C. locations are available.

The upgrade to 3G is important to not only iPhone users but others who want a faster, more reliable Internet service from their cell phone.

Statewide, AT&T plans to add 200 new cell sites in 2009, plus upgrade 320 older sites to 3G service. 

Last year, AT&T added 157 new cell sites in California, plus upgraded 1,031 older sites to handle 3G data services. Of those, 74 new sites were in the greater Los Angeles area, which includes Orange County.

The company doesn’t break out how many cell sites are in Orange County but since September, AT&T added at least 10 new cell sites here, plus upgraded service throughout most of the county.

More on cell-phones: Check out the Gadgetress Guide to local cell phone services. Previous stories on new cell sites in Orange County: 

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 16 Comments »

Verizon Wireless improves cell coverage in O.C.

November 5th, 2008, 12:35 pm by

Can you hear me better now?

Verizon Wireless users should be getting better 3G reception in certain parts of Orange County where the company just installed four new 3G cell sites (see a map of Verizon’s existing 3G coverage).

The expansion was just to “stay ahead of demand and to make sure that our customers enjoy a superior wireless experience,” said John Palmer, regional president of Verizon Wireless.

The new 3G cell sites should improve coverage in these areas:

  • Huntington Beach – Near Beach Boulevard and East Adams Avenue; indoor coverage near Engineer Drive and surrounding residential area to the southeast.
  • Laguna Beach – along the 73 Toll Road and surrounding cities of Aliso Viejo and Irvine.
  • Santa Ana – near intersection of South Fairview Street and West MacArthur Boulevard and surrounding residential and commercial area.

The new sites are part of Verizon Wireless’ $4.6 billion expansion in California since 2000. Verizon has long offered a quality mobile Internet service that some people won’t give up for an iPhone from AT&T or Google phone from T-Mobile. The 3G sites should improve not only voice, but Internet and all those multimedia tools, such as the mapping service, music downloads, texting, etc.

Related:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | Comments Off

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