CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Stadium has upgraded its Wi-Fi system to enhance the mobile experience for fans during games and events. The 74,000+ seat venue is equipped with more than 645 Wi-Fi access points to provide more seamless Wi-Fi coverage throughout the venue. The new installation is a part of AT&T's* continuing network investment to support growing demand for advanced wireless devices and services.

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"Panthers fans are increasingly sharing game time experiences from their wireless devices," said Panthers President Danny Morrison. "They're uploading photos, posting videos, and surfing the web for in-game, real time updates. Wireless technology has enhanced how Panthers fans enjoy game day, and this Wi-Fi upgrade makes the digital interaction even more seamless."

Panthers fans are taking advantage of the upgraded Wi-Fi system's increased capacity. So far during the 2013 season, fans at Bank of America Stadium exchanged 1.9 million MB of data on the Wi-Fi system, 50 percent more than during the same timeframe last year. This is equivalent to approximately 3,900 hours of streaming HD video.

Through the first six home games of the Carolina Panthers 2013 season, cellular data on the in-stadium DAS has increased by more than 90 percent in comparison to the first six home games of the 2012 season. 

"We are looking at things differently now. As connectivity in stadiums across the country becomes a rapidly growing priority we are deploying both Wi-Fi and DAS networks to support that need," said Cristy Swink, AT&T's vice president/general manager for Mobility and Consumer Markets in the Mid Atlantic. "The Carolina Panthers were looking to make that investment to provide Wi-Fi and enhanced coverage at Bank of America Stadium. It's just one of the ways we're investing in North Carolina."

On December 7, Global Wireless Solutions (GWS), a leading independent benchmarking solutions vendor for the wireless industry, tested mobile coverage at the ACC Championship Game and found that AT&T offered the fastest 4G LTE network experience of any mobile provider at Bank of America Stadium. The results found that AT&T offered the fastest average 4G LTE upload speeds and the fastest average 4G LTE download speeds. GWS also found that AT&T delivered more than 99% LTE accessibility at the venue.**

AT&T Wi-Fi will be available throughout the bowl and concourses, so fans can now enjoy a fully engaged game day experience. With the boost in AT&T Wi-Fi connectivity fans can enjoy events even more with real-time stats, social networking and venue information. AT&T also improved cellular network service through the completed installation of a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) in 2012. DAS technology helps improve the mobile Internet experience by shortening the distance a request must travel. The additional capacity also is expected to help improve call reliability, boost data traffic capacity, and enable more consistent network access to help customers make the most of their AT&T devices.

These investments help to ensure that North Carolina residents continue to enjoy the best possible experience over the AT&T network, whether at home, at work or on the go.  The great performance of AT&T's 4G LTE network continues to be validated:

• AT&T has the fastest and now most reliable 4G LTE network.***  According to independent third-party data, AT&T has the highest success rate for delivering mobile content across nationwide 4G LTE networks.
• Meanwhile, our 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive's most recent 20-market speed tests – the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked 1st overall.  PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T's as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.****
• And AT&T was named America's fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine's 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study – sweeping the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.*****

In addition, the AT&T wireless network was recently ranked 1^st for the second-consecutive time in Charlotte by RootMetrics^®, an independent mobile analytics firm. AT&T was named the RootMetrics RootScore^® Combined Award winner in July and September 2013 for its overall call, text and data performance. ******

Across Charlotte and North Carolina, AT&T's 2013 investments have resulted in expansion and enhancement of our 4G LTE network, which provides ultra-fast speeds.  AT&T 4G LTE is now available in more than 20 North Carolina markets, including Charlotte. AT&T invested more than $250 million in its wireless and wired networks in North Carolina in the first half of 2013, building on more than $1.5 billion it invested in its North Carolina wireless and wired networks from 2010 through 2012.

Nationwide, more than 225 million Americans have access to AT&T 4G LTE service.  By year-end 2013, AT&T expects to cover nearly 270 million people and 400 markets with its 4G LTE network.

AT&T's focus to deliver the best possible mobile Internet experience goes beyond 4G to embrace additional connection technologies. AT&T operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network******* including more than 32,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers, and provides access to more than 461,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements.

For more information about AT&T's coverage in Charlotte or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer.  For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**All speeds are specific to only in-venue coverage at the event on December 7, 2013, between 7pm and 1am EST. 

*** Speed claim based on comparison of national carriers' average 4G LTE download speeds for Android^TM and Windows smartphones and iPhone 5. Reliability claim compares data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G speeds not available everywhere.

**** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, "AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo"

***** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp

******Charlotte RootScore® Report, July and September 2013. Performance rankings of 4 mobile networks rely on scores calculated from random samples. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of AT&T. Visit www.rootmetrics.com for more details.

******* A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse^® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.