AT&T Reports 20% Speed Increase in Data Speeds
AT&T has announced that its 3G network has seen an average speed increase on its data services by twenty percent in the downlink and fifty percent in the uplink. The upgrades are results of recent network enhancements, including the deployment of High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) technology across all existing 3G markets before the end of June.
AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network is available in more than 275 major U.S. metropolitan areas. Later this month, AT&T will become the first U.S. carrier to have fully deployed High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology across its entire 3G network. By year-end, the company plans to offer 3G service in nearly 350 major metropolitan U.S. areas.
The new typical wireless broadband speeds for LaptopConnect customers:
- Downlink - Between 700 Kbps (kilobits per second) and 1.7 Mbps (megabits per second), formerly 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps
- Uplink - Between 500 Kbps and 1.2 Mbps, formerly 500 to 800 Kbps
The new typical speed ranges reflect the results of recent measurements performed during thousands of tests in multiple markets. AT&T also said that the number of AT&T LaptopConnect subscribers increased more than 83 percent between the first quarters of 2007 and 2008, showing strong demand for on-the-go data use.
As HSPA technology evolves between 2009 and 2010 to HSPA+, peak speeds could reach 20 Mbps. AT&T plans to adopt LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology to reach even higher speeds in the longer term.
Posted to the site on 4th June 2008
