Cingular beefs up coverage

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teleguy
Enthusiast

May 8, 2005, 11:11 AM

Post #1 of 3 (1089 views)

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Good news for Cingular customers when 50 new cell towers were announced to be built.

What is surprising is that when the assets of Cingular and ATT were combined, apparently neither company had these areas covered adequately?

Do you live in these areas? Tell us about your experience with coverage so far, and what will be the improved coverage you expect to gain.

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Cingular Wireless Continues to Expand its North Florida Network

Plans to Invest More Than $300 Million in 2005

ORLANDO, Fla., May 6, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The nation's largest wireless voice and data network is getting larger in Florida. Cingular Wireless plans to invest more than $300 million in its North Florida network integrating the Cingular and AT&T Wireless networks; increasing coverage and capacity; building new sites; adding portable generators and back-up batteries; and offering enhanced new features.

"High-quality coverage wherever you go -- that's our goal," said Dan Norman, vice president and general manager of Cingular Wireless North Florida. "In 2005, we are continuing to make a huge investment in technology in Florida delivering a network that is growing bigger and more powerful every day."

Of the approximately 50 new cell sites to be added statewide in 2005, 37 are slated for Cingular's North Florida market, which covers southwest Florida across the state north to Panama City. Year-to-date, Cingular has turned on 10 new cell sites in the North Florida market, improving coverage in Thomas, Bay, Pinellas, Osceola, Marion, Manatee, and Levy counties.

In northwest and north central Florida, specific enhancements include:

* Four cell sites in Bay County on Campflower Road, Route 388, Highway 77, and Timbercrest Road, are boosting coverage in the towns of Panama City, Fountain, Youngstown, and Southport.

* A Levy County site at 85th Street in Williston is providing enhanced coverage in downtown Williston and the surrounding area along Alternate U.S. 27.

* A new site on Old Cassidy Road in Thomasville, Georgia is enhancing wireless service along Route 202 in Thomas County.

In central and central west Florida:

* A new cell site at 66th Street North in St. Petersburg is providing additional coverage in Pinellas County.

* A site on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton is enhancing coverage in Manatee County near Route 64 and Southwest 50th Street.

* Coverage along I-4 south of Disney in the areas of Celebration and the Champions Gate Resort has improved with the addition of a new site on Old Lake Wilson Road.

* A new cell site in Marion County is improving coverage along U.S. 27 between Ocala and Blichton.

In south Florida, specific enhancements include:

* A new site on Hypoluxo Road in Lantana is providing enhanced coverage along Hypoluxo Road at I-95.

* Coverage in the northern part of downtown Miami along I-395 is being boosted by a new site located on Northeast 1st Avenue.

* A new site on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami is improving coverage along the causeway and in Virginia Key.

Since Cingular's merger with AT&T Wireless last year, the company has focused on "raising the bar" in terms of high-quality coverage, reliability and reach. With the integration of the two networks underway and slated to be completed in North Florida before year's end, many customers are already reaping the benefits.

from http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/earthlink-net/mw-news-companyreleases.asp?GUID={32E66E33-EE9F-43F8-841F-B013073D3F6F}&destination=2&symb=sbc

and http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/earthlink-net/mw-news-companyreleases.asp?GUID={E65A908A-9F8A-49A6-8C22-B7F5D7824EB3}&destination=2&symb=sbc

teleguy
Enthusiast

Jul 30, 2005, 11:49 AM

Post #2 of 3 (935 views)

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Carriers like to grab headlines with new coverage areas, or improvements to existing ones. "XYZ activates 6 new towers in......"

But when they start shelling out serious money, it's time to sit up and take notice. Cingular has signalled a huge commitment to gaininng marketshare in NY/NJ with their announcement of ..................

Cingular Wireless Invests Half a Billion Dollars in New York/New Jersey Wireless Network
TURNING ON 275 NEW CELL SITES IN 2005
ROSELAND, N.J., July 28, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Cingular Wireless, the country's largest wireless provider, today announced it will invest more than $500 million this year on network improvements in New York and New Jersey -- including turning on-air approximately 275 new cell sites. Nationwide, the company will spend more than $6 billion on its ALLOVER(SM) network*, the nation's largest digital voice and data network.
"Better wireless coverage and performance is exactly what Cingular is delivering in more places than ever before in metropolitan New York," said Stephen Breheny, Executive Director Network Services, Cingular Wireless, New York/New Jersey. "We have also boosted network capacity by more than 30 percent over the past six months so that our customers now experience fewer dropped calls -- whether they're using their Cingular service at home, at work or on vacation."
So far this year, Cingular has turned on more than 105 new cell sites in New York and New Jersey including 16 in Manhattan, 24 in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, 13 in Westchester County and nine in Bergen County. Since the merger with AT&T Wireless last October, Cingular has added more than 250 new cell sites to its network.
The company is constantly monitoring its network and its competition, driving approximately 95,000 miles per month throughout metropolitan New York and northern New Jersey. That's equivalent to nearly four complete trips around the earth. Nationally the company and its third party vendors expect to log nearly 30 million miles over the next year -- the equivalent of more than 50 round trips to the moon.
Cingular's interactive mapping tool, available at all retail locations and by calling 1-866-CINGULAR, can answer specific coverage questions based on a customer's address, a street intersection, zip code, state or landmark. The service can even estimate the likelihood of coverage in various scenarios -- inside a building for example.
Cingular's ALLOVER(SM) network now covers more than 270 million people. The company's EDGE network -- the fastest national high-speed data network in America -- provides average data connections of up to 135 kilobits per second in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along nearly 40,000 miles of highways.
The company's network growth relies on advanced GSM/EDGE technology. GSM is the world standard for wireless communication, used by more than a billion people in 200-plus countries. Cingular customers can make calls in more than 170 countries and access data services in more than 70 countries.

teleguy
Enthusiast

Aug 5, 2005, 11:56 AM

Post #3 of 3 (886 views)

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As mentioned before, cell companies like to grab headlines about their coverage expanding.

There has been a flurry of announcements by Cingular in recent days all around the country. I won't post them all. (Maybe some of this is to also divert attention from things like the Sprint-Nextel merger, or Verizon's breathtaking pace in rolling out high speed on their network.)

But the large ones like this still do make you take notice, which is just as intended. Cingular is spending money, LOTS of it and they want someone to be aware of it.

Of course, all this will have to be paid for somehow.........................

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Cingular Wireless Raises the Bar for California Customers by Investing More Than $1 Billion Throughout the State
Unprecedented Investment Will Enhance Service Quality and Expand Coverage for California Customers
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug 01, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Cingular Wireless, the country's largest wireless provider, today announced it will invest more than $1 billion throughout California in 2005 to install more than 730 new cell sites as part of a nationwide $6.2 billion commitment to enhance and expand its ALLOVER(SM) network*.
The network improvements will enable Cingular customers throughout the state to experience the highest level of voice service quality and offer some of the most advanced wireless data services to more customers in more places.
"Better wireless service is what consumers want statewide, and better coverage is exactly what Cingular is delivering," said Brian Shay, Regional President - West. "We are continually making improvements to our network so that our customers have the best wireless experience."
Cingular's more than $1 billion commitment to California is a major initiative comprising more than twenty percent of the company's overall $6.2 billion investment in nationwide upgrades. Cingular customers will have access to some 40,000 cell sites nationally, the most of any U.S. carrier, by the end of 2005.
The company already offers customers access to the largest digital voice and data network in America, and California is an important part of that network. Nearly two new cell sites are being installed every day in California to continue to meet the needs of Cingular customers.
"We are raising the bar significantly with this investment, demonstrating our commitment to continue aggressively providing better quality service to our customers," said Shay. "That strong customer focus is one of the reasons Cingular serves more than 51 million customers -- the first and only domestic wireless carrier to attain this important growth milestone."
To ensure that Cingular is successfully providing coverage for all its customers and to determine where more cell sites are needed, Cingular employees and third parties will drive 30 million miles around the country this year to test network coverage and quality. That's the equivalent of fifty round trips to the moon to ensure customers receive the best possible wireless experience in the United States. Along with drive-testing its own network, Cingular will drive-test competitors' networks to ensure that Cingular's coverage and quality are equal to or better than others providing service in the same areas.
Cingular's ALLOVER network now covers more than 270 million people, and provides service throughout the United States, including in the top 100 markets. Customers on specific calling plans now have access to the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community in the country -- with free access to more than 51 million people.
The company's network growth relies on advanced GSM/EDGE technology. GSM is the world standard for wireless communication, used by more than a billion people in 200-plus countries. In fact, more than 70 percent of the world's total wireless market is GSM. The widespread use of GSM offers Cingular customers the ability to use a large variety of GSM "world phones" and devices in more than 125 countries to make calls and access data services in more than 70 countries.
For customers interested in wireless data services, the company's EDGE network -- the fastest national high-speed data network in America -- provides average data connections of up to 135 kilobits per second in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along nearly 40,000 miles of highways.
For more information about Cingular, please contact 1-866-CINGULAR or visit www.cingular.com.