Cingular Continues to Enhance Iowa Network
Share:
DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug. 22-- Cingular Wireless today said it will spend $16 million this year to extend coverage and enhance the quality of service for customers in Iowa and Nebraska. The company expects to add approximately 40 cell sites in Iowa this year.
Last year, Cingular invested over $19 million on its network in Iowa, adding coverage and capacity via new cell sites, new switching complexes, portable generators and back-up batteries, and by rolling out new data features. This local investment was part of Cingular's estimated $6.2 billion national network capital expenditure program during 2005.
As a result, Cingular's ALLOVER network* -- the largest digital voice and data network -- has grown bigger, better and more powerful in Iowa.
* The ALLOVER network covers more than 270 million people. Coverage not
available in all areas.
"Cingular Wireless is committed to making a significant investment to enhance and expand its network in Iowa. Quality and coverage are everything in our business and our customers can be assured they're receiving the most reliable service in Iowa," said Jeff Harkman, vice president and general manager for Iowa. "We've improved capacity and in-building wireless coverage by adding numerous new cell sites over the last two years. Our goal is to provide the most reliable wireless service in Iowa."
Cell Sites
To date 24 new cell sites have been added in Iowa this year. This enabled the company to add new service or enhance existing service through many areas. Recent cell site additions include the following locations:
Morrison, IL Prairie Center Rd and Henry Rd
Des Moines, IA HWY 5 and SW9th
Fruitland, IA HWY 61 & 49th St
Walford, IA HWY 151 & Benton Iowa Rd
Kewanee, IL HWY 81 & HWY 78
Batavia, IA Ash Ave and Front St
Lawton, IA Main & Cedar
Winterset, IA 120th & 169
Conesville, IA 250th and Washington
Ely, IA Jappa Rd and Rogers Creek
Holland, IA Rt.20 & 14
Dubuque, IA Cedar Crossing Rd and Hughes Street
Ames, IA Ames High Dr & Ridgewood
Dubuque, IA Penn & Heacook Rd
Des Moines, IA Euclid and 34th street
Moline, IL 12th Ave. & 41st
Palo, IA Yates Rd. and Covington Rd
Winfield, IA HWY 78 & Lexington
Norwalk, IA Rte 28 and Fairfax
Dallas Center, IA R16 and Walnut St
Adel, IA Rte 44 and CR P58
Lawton, IA Hwy 20 and Charles
Waterloo, IA Diagonal St & W Airline HWY
Logan, IA L34 & F52
"It's great to see that the investments we're making in our network are paying off, especially for customers. Quality and coverage are everything in our business and our customers can be assured that we're working to provide them with the most reliable wireless service in the industry," said Harkman. "We've improved capacity and in-building wireless coverage by adding new cell sites. We're going to take the national reliability claim back from competitors one market at a time."
Cingular network engineers constantly monitor the network, driving throughout Iowa. Nationally, Cingular uses a variety of companies, as well as its own technicians, to drive test its network. The company expects this army of testers to drive nearly 30 million miles -- the equivalent of 50 round trips to the moon -- to measure the quality and coverage of its network.
Additionally the company offers an interactive mapping tool at all retail locations and by calling 1-866-CINGULAR. The tool provides customers with up-to-date wireless coverage information and is designed to answer a customer's specific wireless coverage questions based on an address, street intersection, zip code or even a landmark. It enables the customer to view their Cingular wireless coverage all the way down to the neighborhood street level while depicting the likelihood of coverage in various scenarios -- such as inside a building.
The company's network growth relies on advanced GSM/EDGE technology. EDGE is the fastest national wireless data network in the country. Globally GSM is used by more than 1.5 billion people in 200-plus countries. Cingular customers can use a single handset to make calls in more than 185 countries and access data services in more than 95 countries.
For more information about Cingular, please contact 1-866-CINGULAR or visit www.cingular.com/ .
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 57.3 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS), has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER® network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover®, the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases emailed to you automatically. Sign up at cingular.mediaroom.com/.
CONTACT:
Chris Comes of Cingular Wireless,
+1-847-765-3602,
or wireless,
+1-312-282-0539,
chris.comes@cingular.com
Web site: www.cingular.com/
