AT&T Customers Get More Mobile Broadband Coverage in Five Illinois Counties

New Cell Sites Activated as Part of Ongoing AT&T Investment in Local Network.

As part of its continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced mobile devices and applications, AT&T* announced the activation of 20 new 3G cell sites that will enhance coverage for area residents and businesses in parts of Grundy, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will Counties.

The 3G network has been enhanced in communities, including Braceville, Braidwood, Channahon, Granville, La Salle, Marseilles, Minooka, Morris, Ottawa, Peru, Seneca, Sheridan, Wilmington and Yorkville, as well as along major roadways, including I-80 corridor.

The new cell sites are one part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation and extend its 3G wireless network – the fastest in the nation, according to independent testing. It is also part of AT&T’s ongoing investment to build the broadband networks that will fuel economic growth and create jobs, and enable its customers to quickly access the content, applications and services that matter most to them.

“Telecommunications is driving the nation’s economy during this recession, and advanced telecommunications networks are essential for a robust economy of the future. Every business in every industry needs these advancements to thrive and create jobs,” said Paul La Schiazza, president, AT&T Illinois. “We appreciate the work of state lawmakers including State Sen. Gary Dahl and State Reps. Frank Mautino and Careen Gordon. They understand in these tough economic times of high unemployment, Illinois must set policies that create an environment to bring jobs and economic growth to our state. Our state can’t afford to fall behind.”

The AT&T 3G network opens the door to a new era of advanced mobile services, devices and feature-rich content. With 3G speeds, you can surf the Web, download files faster than ever, and enjoy the very latest interactive mobile applications.

“Our goal is pretty simple: we want you to have an extraordinary experience when you make a call, check e-mail, download a song or video, or surf the Internet on your AT&T device,” said Kevin Petersen, vice president and general manager for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets in Illinois. “We’re always looking for new opportunities to provide enhanced coverage and our investment in the local network is just one way to accomplish this."

AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most open and widely used wireless network platforms in the world. AT&T offers 3G data roaming in more than 100 countries, as well as voice calling in more than 215 countries.

AT&T offers unsurpassed choice in the range of devices, services and applications compatible with its 3G network. AT&T offers a wide variety of devices from more than a dozen manufacturers, including handsets that are compatible with six different operating systems and five different e-mail applications. Our Media Mall 2.0 offers more than 90,000 content options, and customers can download virtually any application over the Internet. Additionally, AT&T supports a community of more than 20,000 application developers via its devCentral portal.