WebProNews

AT&T said today it would upgrade its 3G network to offer considerably faster mobile broadband speeds. The network upgrades will begin later this year and be completed in 2011.

AT&T said it would expand its 3G mobile broadband network from 350 metropolitan areas to about 370 by the end of 2009. The expansion will be covered by its previously announced capital expenditure budget of $17 billion to $18 billion for the year.

Ralph de la Vega

The increase to its mobile broadband speed includes an upgrade of High Speed Packet Access that the company currently uses. The upgrade will increase AT&T's theoretical network speed to 7.2 megabits per second, up from current speeds of 3 megabits per second.

Typical real world speeds experienced by users with upgraded 3G will be less than the theoretical peak and will vary based on a number of factors, including location, device, and overall traffic on the local network at a given time.

"AT&T's network infrastructure gives us a tremendous advantage in that we're able to deliver upgrades in mobile broadband speed and performance with our existing technology platform," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

"With the array of smartphones, laptops and emerging devices taking advantage of AT&T's 3G network today, we know that customers are excited to experience higher mobile broadband speeds, and we are deploying the right technologies at the right times to help them get the most from that experience."